The Aftermath of War
by ReighHPFiction
Summary: Harry has done his duty. Voldemort is dead and the war over. Now he must face the world as a free man. His first action? Keeping the Malfoys out of jail. A life debt is a life debt after all. Male/Male, Het
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : Alright, so this is my first official shot in the Harry Potter Universe, hopefully you all enjoy! Please leave me with your thoughts after you've read, after all feedback is an author's bread and butter.

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**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future Mpreg

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, RonHermione, KingsleyNarcissa

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**Prologue** : The Plea

Harry sat in the master bedroom of Grimmauld Place with a thoughtful expression settled upon his face. It'd been about five months since the Final Battle, and Harry was not yet finished recovering. Not mentally, not physically...not at all. There had been so much lost in the second war against Voldemort. So many lives destroyed on both sides of the fight. Harry wasn't sure how he was supposed to be handling things. It wasn't easy, going to bed every night and seeing the faces of everyone who'd died so he could defeat the madman who'd almost ruined them all. Remus, Tonks, Mad Eye, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lily and James Potter...and finally Fred Weasley, only a few of the many people killed, but a list too long in Harry's opinion for him to have lost.

He knew that Ron and Hermione would be there for him if he told them he needed them, but he didn't want to burdon either of them. Ron, along with the rest of his family, were busy mourning the death of Fred. Hermione had run off to Australia to find her parents. She was hoping she could restore their memories, and if she couldn't she would be taking them to St. Mungo's to do so when she found them. His girlfriend, if he could even still call her that, Ginny Weasley had offered her help, but he knew that she was still mourning her older brother. He couldn't add to her pain by hefting the enormous weight of his own on top of her.

In the end, Harry had himself. That's how it seemed to always end up. He was doing better, but he wasn't healed yet. He hadn't left Grimmauld since Kingsley had dropped him off there the day after the Final Battle. He hadn't been planning on leaving until the memorials started up. So many had died that everyone he knew had decided to wait some time before planning any funerals. He expected that would start soon.

Harry wouldn't even have gone anywhere on this particular day, if it weren't for the owl he'd received at breakfast from the one and only Narcissa Malfoy. Both she and Draco had managed to avoid being imprisoned. Draco because he had not received the Dark Mark and was considered by The Wizengamot to have been pressured by family ties and Lord Voldemort himself at an impressionable age. Narcissa because Harry had spoken on her behalf when the Aurors had come after the battle.

Lucius Malfoy, however, had not been so lucky. He'd gone quietly, seeming to recognize and acknowledge his crimes as his own, which was much more than Harry had ever expected of him. He supposed that pleading "Imperius" again probably wouldn't be a very sound case for his freedom. His wife had filed for immediate divorce following the end of the war, pleading that she could no longer tie herself to the man who had cost her family so much. It went through without an issue. The owl from Mrs. Malfoy addressed Lucius' upcoming hearing.

* * *

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I am sure you are wondering why I have contacted you now, after so much time has passed. Well, to be quite frank, Lucius' trial starts today and it is my hope that you will agree to speak for his freedom as a personal favor to me. I know that you have no personal reason to believe that Lucius acted in anyone else's interest than his own when he decided to join the Dark Lord once again. However, I do wish that you keep an open mind as I explain to you why he had no other choice._

_As you are probably most conscious of, once a person is linked to the Dark Lord, they cannot be unbound. You yourself shared a link with Him, did you not? And you suffered because of it often, from what I have read in the papers. Well, the Dark Mark is not unlike your scar, except that the bond behind it is much more powerful. While the bolt of lightning that adorns your forehead was accidental, the Mark is something that is done on purpose with the intent of binding a person's very magic to that of the Dark Lord's._

_During his first coming, Lucius was a brash and idiotic young man who sought power and superiority through his service to Lord Voldemort. I tried to dissuade him from doing so. I thought it would be better for us to remain neutral. While I believe that muggleborns are a threat to the secrecy of our world and have pride in my pure blood heritage, I do not believe that all those who do not share that heritage deserve to be destroyed or enslaved. The Dark Lord fell, and Lucius pleaded Imperius to the Wizengamot which kept him free. Why am I telling you this? Because I know that you already know it is true, and because I know you are too good a young man to use it against me. You willingly walked to your death to save the rest of the world, and for that I can do nothing but respect you._

_What I am trying to explain here, is that because of the Dark Mark, no matter where we ran, eventually we would have been found. When the Dark Lord returned, Lucius felt the burning pain of the Mark once again and he knew he had no choice but to return to his master's side. I want you to know, that he hated every minute of it. He hated involving Draco in it, and involving me. But he was afraid, we all were, that if we refused death surely awaited us. Perhaps that makes us cowardly, but you must understand that Lucius just wanted to do whatever he could to protect this family. Because of his willful service, Draco and I were spared the more disturbing side of Death Eater life, and Draco was spared the Mark._

_We have all lost a lot. The war damaged my marriage beyond repair. Although Lucius and I are still on amiable terms, we can no longer live together as man and wife. It has, unfortunately, pained my son more than I can explain. I do not wish to see him hurt any more. I beseech you as a mother, please spare Draco the sight of his father being carted off to a life sentence in Azkaban, or even worse..the Kiss. He will need us both to help him recover from the things he was forced to see, to do, under the Dark Lord's reign in our home. We are all he has left._

_If that does not convince you, then think of this...I saved your life Harry Potter, you and I both know that. I do not want to call in my life debt, but if I must I will. I will do anything to spare my son more pain._

_That is all I have left to say on this matter. If you are agreeable to speaking at Lucius' trial, please send me an owl and I will meet you at the Ministry._

_Sincerely,_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

After reading through her letter four times, Harry had owled Mrs. Malfoy back indicating that he would be at the Ministry later in the day to speak at Lucius' trial. He understood what the woman had so desperately tried to convey in her message. He understood that a lot of Voldemort's followers were little more than victims themselves, especially the younger ones. While he didn't believe that Lucius Malfoy was blameless, he didn't want to see Draco destroyed by the loss of his father. Draco was a victim, pure and true, of his family's poor choices. Harry had no desire, rival or not, to see the other young man broken by the backlash of the war.

He knew the Wizengamot would not allow Lucius to go unpunished, but Harry also knew that being the Savior of the World had its perks, and his word would sway them from sending the man to Azkaban. Harry had an idea for a punishment that would make everyone happy. He would strike a deal with the Wizengamot, and the Malfoys.

A glance at the clock let him know that it was time to leave. He grabbed his wand, and Draco's (_ figuring he could return it after the trial_ ), and headed to the Ministry.

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**A/n: **_**Hope you enjoyed it! The first chapter should be up within the next couple of days, and at the latest by the end of the week. Leave a review to let me know what you think!**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : Here goes chapter one! This story is unbeta'd. Please forgive small mistakes.

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**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future MPreg Unbeta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, RonHermione, KingsleyNarcissa

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**Chapter One **: The Trial of Lucius Malfoy

When Harry arrived at the Ministry, he was greeted by the sight of Draco and his Mother, both waiting for him by the fountain statue so they could board the elevator together to the courtrooms below. Narcissa looked as ethereal and regal as always. Gone were the bags under her eyes, the strain of anxiety that had graced her features during the war. Before him stood the epitome of what Harry expected every little Pureblood girl wanted to be. Dressed in semi-formal, dark blue robes, Narcissa turned to greet Harry with an extending of her delicate hand and a demure smile.

"Mr. Potter, I am so glad you were able to make it here," she said, her tone smooth as glass with just the barest hint of warmth in her tone. He supposed that his arrival had pleased her.

"Erm...you can just call me Harry, and it was no trouble," Harry replied awkwardly. Formality had never been his strong point. The woman's pale blue eyes took on a gleam of what looked like amusement at his response.

"Harry then," Narcissa amended. "Come now, we must make our way to the courtrooms."

Draco, who had been silent through the entire exchange, barely peeled his eyes from his feet as he followed his mother and Harry towards the elevator. The other boy's silence was off-putting, to say the least, but Harry supposed he wouldn't be very talkative if he were walking to the trial that would decide his father's fate. With a quiet sigh, Harry leaned his head back against the elevator wall and waited for the drop to the courtrooms to be done.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy sat in a cage, warded with some of the strongest shield magic in the world as he awaited the trial that would decide his future. Nervous wouldn't be quite the word to describe what he was feeling at the moment. Terrified? Anxiety ridden? Desperate? Those might all work to describe his feelings, even if they still lacked in his opinion. He knew more than anyone that if he was sentenced to a life term in Azkaban, or even the Dementor's Kiss...he would deserve it for all the crimes he had committed. He was guilty, plain and simple. He knew that. He had willingly followed a madman into nearly destroying the entire world.

However, no matter how guilty he was, Lucius still held out hope that somehow he would go free. For his son's sake if for no other reason, Lucius wanted to go free. He had failed as a father to Draco. His choices had ruined his son's childhood and forced Draco into situations no father would ever wish on their child. It was his fault that Draco was broken, and even though their marriage was dissolved, Lucius knew that his son would need both of his parents to recover.

When the people started to file into the courtroom, Lucius did not look up from his lap. He couldn't bear to see the expression of hopelessness on Draco's face, or the cold as steel mask of his ex-wife staring back at him. Narcissa and he both hoped to retain a friendship if he was let off, but they both knew they could never be together as they were before the war had destroyed everything.

He paid little attention to most of what was said by the persecuting side. He knew their entire argument back and front, they were his crimes after all that were being laid before the Wizengamot for judgment. When it was the turn of the defense team to prove their case, Lucius listened to his ex-wife explain every detail of what happened in their home while Voldemort was using it as his headquarters. He knew her side as well. She would defend his actions to the Wizengamot as a desperate attempt to protect his family against the newly risen master he had thought long dead. She would explain the power of the Dark Mark, and why it meant they could never truly hide. He knew, even with that as evidence, it would not be enough to convince the Wizengamot.

When Draco took the stand, it nearly broke Lucius' heart. His son, once so confident and strong, sat stuttering and shaking through his version of life under the Dark Lord's watchful eye. By the end, Draco was basically just pleading for the Wizengamot to not take Lucius away. Lucius could watch no longer. It was obvious his son was still damaged from his experiences, and knowing that the damage was all his fault made Lucius feel even worse about his situation. He kind of fazed out for a little while after that, until the next witness was called.

"Defense now calling Mr. Harry Potter to the stand."

Lucius' head whipped in the direction of the stand, his grey eyes wide and wild with confusion as he watched the Savior of the Wizarding World stride forward to the stand. Whispers had broken out in the courtroom, and Lucius could hear the scratching of more than one Quick Notes Quill dashing across partchment as the press no doubt went insane over the turn of events.

"For the record, please state your full name," the Head Warlock requested.

"Harry James Potter," Potter replied in a deep, unreadable tone.

"And you wish to testify in support of the freeing of Lucius Malfoy, admitted Death Eater and second in command to the man formerly known as The Dark Lord?"

Green eyes turned up to the man behind the podium, honest and strong, as the young man nodded his assent.

"I do. It is my belief that while Lucius Malfoy undoubtedly committed the crimes of which he is accused today, that for the sake of his family he should not go to Azkaban. I know that it is not in your usual practice to make exceptions, but in this case it would be completely destructive to send this man to jail. His son, like many of the people in our generation, has lost more than most can imagine. Most of his friends are either dead, or on the run. He has no other family than his mother and father, and because of the decisions that were forced upon him by his family it is not easy for him to make new friends. All Draco Malfoy has to help him through this are his parents. To take one of them out of the picture would not only be cruel, but unnecessary. You've all heard today the case that Lucius Malfoy's defense has been trying to prove to you. At the end of the day he acted as a desperate father, in far too deep on the wrong side, to protect his family. Would you have been able to make different decisions in his situation? Would you have had the courage to stand up to Voldemort, when you knew that no matter where you ran he would inevitably find you? I don't think I could have."

Lucius could do nothing but stare in shock as Harry Potter vehemently defended his need to be kept out of Azkaban. He couldn't believe his ears. Shooting a glance over to Draco and Narcissa, he could see that both of them seemed surprised at the determination the dark haired young man was showing in his efforts. Lucius knew that it was undoubtedly his ex-wife that had called on Potter to testify, but she obviously had not expected the amount of heart the young man was giving behind his words.

"So you think that this man who has killed, tortured, and injured dozens...deserves to go free into our world as if none of it had ever happened?" a member of the Wizengamot asked snidely. Potter's fiery green eyes shot to the member, who instantly cowed at the sharp look, before the boy opened his mouth to speak again.

"That's not what I said, and I'd appreciate it if you kept your words out of my mouth," he replied shortly. "I said he shouldn't be sent to Azkaban, for his son's sake, not that he shouldn't be punished."

Now, Lucius was confused. Punished? What kind of punishment would one give a former Death Eater if not imprisonment in Azkaban?

"And just what kind of punishment are you recommending, Mr. Potter? A slap on a hand and a few months of house arrest? This is a Death Eater we are talking about! A former member of The Dark Lord's Inner Ring!" another Wizengamot member said incredulously.

"Again, keep your words out of my mouth. I can speak on my own. A slap on the hand is hardly a punishment worthy of Mr. Malfoy's crimes. But, before I outline what I think should be done, I would like to know one thing. If I give you this alternate punishment, will you consider it? I promise that I will personally take responsibility for Mr. Malfoy's actions if he is allowed to leave this hearing a reasonably free man," Potter said, causing Lucius to turn his wide eyes back on the Savior.

This time it was the Wizengamot that broke out into furious whispers. After a few moments of arguing, the Head Warlock raised his hand to silence to room, and turned his eyes on Potter.

"Well, Mr. Potter..it is no secret that the Wizarding World owes you no small debt for what you've done for us. If you outline to us a reasonable alternate punishment for this man, and give us your word you will personally see that it is carried out to all of its specifications, we will consider your option," the old man replied.

Lucius felt his heart rate sky rocket at this. This was really happening. Harry Potter was about to win him his freedom to go home with his family. He watched in riveted silence as the young man on the stand collected his thoughts to begin his outline.

"I propose that Lucius Malfoy be released to the custody of his son, with some stipulations of course. First, his magic should be restrained for a while..maybe six months or so at your discretion. Second, he may not leave Malfoy Manor under any circumstances besides a physical or family emergency. Third, he should be under Auror surveillance for no less than two years, longer if you feel it is necessary. Fourth, I know that the Ministry was unable to seize his assets because the Malfoy Fortune and properties are all linked by ancient blood magic to himself and those he has privileged with the Malfoy name. In order to make up for his despicable crimes, Mr. Malfoy should have to fund the reconstruction of Hogwarts as well as pay reparations for his crimes to the Ministry of a reasonable sum. Like I stated before, I will give you my word that I will personally take responsibility for Mr. Malfoy's actions when he is released and see to it that his punishments are handled accordingly."

When Potter finished there was a long silence that took the room. The only sound that could be heard was the constant scratching of the quills along parchment and the tapping of the stenographer's keys. Lucius chanced a look at the Wizengamot, who all wore blank masks of contemplation as they stared at the young Savior sitting on the stand before them. It was a few more moments before the Head Warlock seemed to pull together the words to speak again.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. I will now take a vote," he said. "All those in favor of Mr. Potter's alternative method of punishment raise your hands."

Lucius could not bear to look. Instead, he let his eyes slide back down to his lap realizing quite suddenly how tightly he was gripping his knees. His knuckles were white and his joints ached. He waited for what seemed like forever for the Head Warlock to speak again.

"Okay then, all those against Mr. Potter's suggestion...I see. Well, by vote of the majority it is the jugement of this court that Lucius Abraxas Malfoy be released into the custody of his family and punished in the manner that Mr. Potter has thus outlined in this hearing."

The silence was obliterated in seconds, cries of dismay nearly drowning the small squeak of delight his ex-wife had let out and the surprised gasp of his one and only son after. Camera flashes went off like lightning flashing over and over, the sound nearly deafening to Lucius' ears. It wasn't until the Warlock's hand raised up once again to silence the room that the noise trickled to a lower decibel.

"I have one stipulation of my own to make, Mr. Potter, before I allow you to step down from the stand," the Head Warlock said. Harry Potter's Avada green eyes lifted to regard the old man curiously.

"Name it," he said.

"Mr. Potter, I will fully accept your idea of punishment if, and only if, you move into Malfoy Manor to supervise Lucius Malfoy's punishment personally," the old man said.

Lucius felt his heart plummet into his shoes once the words were spoken. He was doomed. There was no way Harry Potter would agree to living in the home of three former Death Eaters, the house that formerly housed The Dark Lord, the house in which Potter was nearly murdered only months ago. Lucius steeled himself for the reversal of the previous judgment. He was going to Azkaban. This was the end.

But when Lucius looked up at Potter to watch his own eminent doom...he saw the young man's lips curl upwards into the most Slytherin of smirks Lucius had ever been witness to...and Lucius had personally known the Heir of Slyhterin himself.

"Agreed," was Potter's answer.

"Then we have an accord. The judgment stands," the Head Warlock stated, firmly smacking the mallet down on the desk as the room went wild around them.

* * *

The moments after the verdict had been sealed were a blur to Harry. The room dissolved into chaos, cameras flashing and reporters yelling one over the other to try and get their questions heard. It was only after they were ushered out of the room, that Harry stepped down from the stand. A survey around the room revealed the Malfoys huddled in a darkened corner together, Draco standing beneath the weight of both his parents arms. The scene immediately reminded Harry of when he'd walked back into the Great Hall after Voldemort's final demise. He felt his heart lurch for them. Despite the wrongness of their actions and choices, the Malfoys loved one another. Harry had always wished for the kind of love Narcissa and Lucius had for their son. Cautiously, Harry walked closer. He approached slowly and tried to be as non-threatening as he could.

When he stood about a foot away, he stilled and waited to be acknowledged. It was Narcissa who looked up first, her lovely face breaking into a smile brighter than he had ever seen from her before. Of course, it was a Narcissa Black bright smile, not a Ginney Weasley bright smile..but it was nice to see all the same. Harry couldn't help but smile back shyly, feeling his cheeks heat a bit as the other two Malfoys turned to look at him.

"Mr. Pott_ Harry...I can not express in words the gratitude I feel towards you right now," she said quietly. Harry fidgeted and shrugged his shoulders. "Though it might have taken a life debt to get you here, you came through with much more than any of us ever could have hoped for."

Harry blinked when he was suddenly reminded of Narcissa's letter saying that if nothing else, he should come to settle his life debt. He hadn't even given it a second thought after he sent the owl. He'd come here of his own volition, because he didn't want to see another person he knew from school destroyed in the aftermath of Voldemort.

"I...no, you can consider your life debt un-called on. I didn't come here because of that," he said, proud of himself for managing to keep eye contact with her. "Malfoy didn't deserve to lose his father on top of everything else. It was what any decent person would have done."

For that he received a musical giggle, and amusement glimmering in Narcissa's pale blue eyes.

"And I am truly astounded that you believe that, but no matter," she said flippantly, but fell silent as her ex-husband moved forward.

Harry tensed up a bit as the Malfoy Patriarch faced him. He knew in his mind that Lucius wasn't going to harm him. It wouldn't make sense for the man to do so only moments after having barely dodged a prison sentence. But, that didn't mean Harry was anywhere near trusting the man. This was the man who had tried to kill him numerous times, nearly killed Ginney, and led the attack that had ended in Sirius' death. He hadn't spoken at this trial for Lucius' benefit. It was because of Draco and Narcissa that Harry had come at all.

"Mr. Potter, I would like to formally thank you for coming here to day and accomplishing what you have accomplished. If it weren't for you, I would surely be rotting in a cell in Azkaban for the rest of my life, or worse. I only regret that you have gotten stuck living with us in our home which must only hold terrible memories for you," the man said in a smooth, neutral tone. Harry just smirked at him.

"No need for regrets, that was my intent after all," he said in response, watching as the shock fluttered over one blank Malfoy expression to the other before all three were shuttered again.

"You see, I didn't just come here because Malfoy drew the short stick in the father department," he said, his tone confident as he noted Lucius' barely restrained flinch at the barb at his character. "Malfoy Manor has some of the thickest, most powerful wards in all the Wizarding World, and moving in with you will assure me that I will be safe from the rabid press that will do anything short of kidnapping and restraining me in some basement to get an interview with the _Savior_ ," Harry explained, spitting the title as if it were acid in his mouth. The bitterness in his tone seemed to shock the three before him, so he gathered himself once again.

"So you see, you're doing me a favor as well. It's not entirely selfless," he finished.

There was something about their shocked silence that was infinitely amusing to Harry. He couldn't help the smugness that welled up in his body at the fact that he had just rendered three Malfoys..well, technically two Malfoys and Black, speechless. Finally, after moments of uncertain quiet, Narcissa spoke.

"Well, Harry, I think I am speaking for all of us when I say that I had not expected something quite so...Slytherin of you," she said, her tone as calm as ever. Harry just grinned at her, unable to fight his amusement.

"I _was_ almost sorted there after all," he said, biting back a laugh at Draco's dropped jaw and Lucius' widened eyes. "But that's a story for another day."

"Indeed," Narcissa said, seeming almost as amused as Harry. "Well then, let's have some tea and discuss when you'll be moving in."

With that said, Narcissa turned and glided away gracefully, leaving the three men behind her with nothing more to do than follow.

'_This might be even more interesting than I thought,_' Harry thought.

* * *

It was an odd feeling, sitting in the Tea Room of Malfoy Manor with three people he'd considered enemies only a few months ago. But, Harry had given up long ago on the idea of his life ever being normal, and the Malfoys were offering him something he'd always wanted since the first time Rita Skeeter posted lies about him in the Prophet. They were offering him cover from the press. Of course, Grimmauld under Fidelus as it was, was safe from reporters. But it was so dark and dreary. The Manor was open and bright, much brighter than he remembered it from that night months ago. Also, Grimmauld had a distinct lack of human presence that really drove Harry mad sometimes. Even if the people here weren't exactly his friends, he figured they'd at least be cordial to him out of gratitude for his saving their family.

"So, Harry, how long do you think it will take you to pack your things and move in. I would like to know which day you are planning to do so as well, so I can have a house elf make up a room for you before you arrive," Narcissa said, breaking the ice of the conversation easily.

"Oh, well to be completely honest Mrs. Malfoy...ermm...Miss Black..ah, Lady Black?" Harry's cheeks flushed as he failed to figure out the correct way to address the woman sitting across from him. He heard a sound suspiciously close to a snort come from Draco's direction, and a sigh from Lucius. Narcissa, for her part, only smiled graciously at him.

"You may call me Narcissa, Harry, as you have extended your permission for me to call you by your given name," she said gently. Harry just nodded, fidgeting in his seat before he pulled his thoughts together to answer.

"Okay, well, to be honest with you Narcissa, I really don't own that many things. Before I started Hogwarts, I didn't have much. My Muggle family really only provided the necessities," he said, leaving out the '_sometimes not even that_' he should probably tack on to the end of that.

"And while I was at Hogwarts I needed for nothing, so I never really bought more than I had. Since my clothes were given to me from my much larger cousin, they never really got too small on me, and I was so busy with...other things, I didn't really think of going shopping for myself," Harry finished.

Narcissa looked curious, but didn't ask him to expand on anything. He figured there must be something in Pureblood etiquette that said prying was rude. Or maybe that was just etiquette in general. He waited a few moments while the others processed his words, before smiling and shrugging his shoulders again.

"So I can really move in whatever day is the most convenient for you, though I think we should do it sooner rather than later, so the Wizengamot doesn't freak out," he said. Narcissa nodded her head in assent.

"I agree. Well, if you have no objections, I can have a room made up for you by tomorrow. Do you have any preferences? Perhaps facing the gardens, or on the top floor, or maybe near the library?" Narcissa asked.

Harry just blinked in surprise. Somehow he'd forgotten how big Malfoy Manor was. Having options like this was not something he was used to, he'd almost rather be told which room he could have...because he didn't really ever have another option. Not even at Hogwarts.

"Um..well, if it wouldn't make you too uncomfortable, I would just like to be placed in a room near one of you. It might sound stupid, but I don't like to be alone as much as I'm used to it," he said with another unsure shrug. For a brief moment he thought he saw Narcissa's light blue eyes soften before becoming unreadable once again.

"It does not sound stupid and I will let one of the house elves know later tonight," she said. Harry nodded and looked down into his untouched tea. He'd forgotten all about it.

"Well then, I guess I'll get going. Shouldn't take me too long to pack things up, but I would like to try to get some sleep tonight. Is there a time you prefer to get this done?" he asked. Narcissa looked thoughtful for a few moments.

"I will send Linney for your things at ten o'clock? And you may come then as well if you'd like," she said. Harry nodded and stood.

"Sounds good. I'll be on my way then."

"I will see you out."

Once Harry was outside the Manor's main gate, he apparated home to Grimmauld to start packing.

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**A/N:**_** Alright! That's it for Chapter 1! Hope you liked it and please review!**_


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : Here goes chapter one! Still in search of a decent Beta-reader, so for now try to ignore little spelling errors here and there. I'm only human lols

* * *

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Possible Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, RonHermione

* * *

**Chapter Two**: Starting Over

The Wizengamot promised to keep the story out of the papers until the day following Harry's moving in to the Manor. Harry was happy for that. If people knew he was moving into Malfoy Manor today, not only would he be bombarded by more reporters and fans…he was certain at least a few of the Weasleys would show up to make their disregard for the idea known. He hadn't told his friends yet, and he wanted to do that himself. He planned to send them owls later on in the day once he was settled.

He knew that the Ministry had already come in to put a magical restraint on Lucius, and the Aurors arrived to place surveillance spells around the inside of the house and key points of the property. They also left a few Aurors behind, but Harry didn't see them as he approached the gates.

Harry arrived at the Malfoy Gates nothing but his Hogwarts trunk filled with his scant amount of clothing, school books, and his photo album. When Narcissa opened the door of the Manor, she said nothing save to order an elf to bring his trunk up to his new room. The doors closed behind them as Narcissa bade Harry to follow her into the large dining room. Harry was grateful for the lack of comment on the obvious scarcity of his belongings.

"You are just in time to join us for breakfast. Usually we eat much earlier, but after yesterday's venture, we were all quite tired. I scheduled the elves to cook later so that we could have a late morning," she explained quietly, directing Harry to the seat beside Draco as she took her spot to the right of Lucius.

Harry looked between the two, his mind whirling with curiosity. He knew they'd divorced, both from the papers and from Narcissa's letter to him the previous day. He also knew they were on good terms with one another. But, he always thought that divorced people lived in separate houses. He daren't bring it up, of course. Even he, knowing little of propriety and social rules, knew that doing so would be rude.

"You seem to have something on your mind, Mr. Potter," Lucius said, his grey eyes flicking up to hold Harry's gaze steadily. "Feel free to say what you wish. We are not squeamish in this house. Surely we can handle anything you may say to us after having the Dark…V-Voldemort living under our roof for over a year."

Draco and Narcissa both flinched at the name, but despite his slight stutter Lucius managed not to. Harry felt the smallest bit of respect emerge for the older man. Even the highest officials in the Ministry still couldn't utter Voldemort's name. Even most of the heroes of the war still had problems keeping a straight face while saying it. He didn't blame them, not when during the war the mere utterance of that name would bring the Death Eaters down upon them faster than they could run away.

"Well…I was just wondering. Um..Narcissa mentioned in her letter that you had divorced. I was only wondering if you all still lived here together all the time, or if you are like other divorced couples?" he asked.

Whatever he'd been expecting from the other man was not what happened. Lucius merely nodded his head thoughtfully at the query. It was only a few moments before he spoke.

"Well, Narcissa and I are not like many divorced couples. She is still dear to me, as a friend even if our experiences in the war have made it impossible for us to be together as we once were. As you can see, the Manor is quite large enough to house all of us. I do not see why I should have her move out. Besides, in these times the three of us only have each other. We all decided it would be best to stick together," the Malfoy Patriarch explained in an even and informative tone.

Harry nodded, but didn't say anything else. It really wasn't his business anyway, though he was pleasantly surprised with how open the Malfoys were being with him.

"He is correct. I enjoy my life here at the Manor, and being near my son and Lucius. The only circumstance where I would move out is if I were to remarry. But I do not believe that will be happening anytime in the near future," Narcissa added with one of her carefully controlled little smiles.

Harry just nodded, flicking his eyes over to Draco to see what the Malfoy Heir thought of the current conversation. The blonde boy sat with his eyes directed in his plate, eating quietly with no indication that he was even listening. It was slightly disconcerting. Harry wondered if this was how Draco had been since the Final Battle, or if this was a new development. He held his tongue and lifted his utensils to start eating.

"Well, Harry, just so you know you have the run of the house. All the rooms are open to your exploring, except the ones that are warded. Rooms that are warded have dark artifacts in them that we have not figured out how to get rid of yet without getting hurt, so it would be dangerous for you to go inside any of them. After breakfast, Draco will show you to your room, which is right across the hall from his and in the wing directly behind mine," Narcissa explained as she sipped her tea.

"Lucius is on the other side of the Manor in the Master Wing, if you ever need him, though he spends most of his time in the library," she said, her eyes twinkling in a slightly Dumbledore-esque manner at her ex-husband who appeared to be scowling into his toast at her words.

Harry just smiled at Narcissa, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry Mr. Malfoy. I'll try not to bother you," he said. Lucius' grey eyes lifted to look at Harry once again, who stifled an uncomfortable fidget under the gaze.

"Do not trouble yourself. The only reason I am here in this house at all is because you stood for me at my hearing. My home is your home, you are free to wander. You will find, Mr. Potter, that without the threat of imminent death hanging over our heads, the Malfoys really are not such bad people," the blonde man said quietly before beginning to eat again.

The rest of breakfast went by in slightly less tense silence. Harry figured that it would take some time for the four of them to get used to living with one another. After all, they'd spent so many years on opposite sides of a war that had damaged them all.

After breakfast, Narcissa and Lucius retired from the table, the lady headed towards her rooms and the man heading to the library. It wasn't until they were gone that Draco finally raised his head from the table to take a look at Potter. Green eyes seemed to be flicking around the room trying to look at any other place but the Malfoy Heir. Draco was unsure of how to take that, but he ignored it in favor of standing up.

"Come on, Potter. I'll take you to your room," he said.

"Oh, uh..okay," Potter replied, standing up to follow Draco down the hallway.

"Your things have already been taken to your rooms and unpacked by the house elves. I'm right across the hall if you have any questions, and like Mother said, she is only down the hall if you need her for anything," Draco explained, trying to be a good host despite the oddness of the situation.

Now that everything was over and there was no reason for Draco to hate Harry…the young Malfoy was just unsure of how to speak to him. Seven years of rivalry and at least two of violence, were not an easy thing to just ignore. However, as a Malfoy he knew the rules of etiquette when it came to having a guest in the house, especially if that guest was of high priority. There really was no one more high priority than Harry Potter nowadays. Besides, while Potter might not realize the implications pulling Draco out of that fire in the Room of Requirement, Draco was entirely aware. He owed the Savior a life debt. The least he could do was be cordial.

"Here we are," Draco said, distracting himself from his own thoughts as he pushed the doors open to Harry's suite.

He was followed inside by Potter, who looked around the room with an expression of wonder that made him look like a child staring at his first Christmas tree. The room wasn't anything special really. It was lovely, of course. It was a room in Malfoy Manor. They were all lovely. Mother had decorated it in gentle reds and deep gold. It was not the garish maroon and blaring gold of Gryffindor colors of course, but it was something Draco figured Potter would find comfort in. There was a large bay window that overlooked the east courtyard, and a large fireplace. Draco walked Harry into the sitting room area of his suite, and then into the bathroom. Marble floors, counters and fixtures lined the large bathroom. There was a shower stall to the left and a huge tub with an amount of taps that put the Prefect's bathroom to shame.

"This is all for me?"

Draco slid his eyes back over to Potter when he heard the question, feeling amusement swell in his chest at the sight of the Gryffindor's obvious shock. Surely Potter was used to such accommodations. He was The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, and now The Savior. No one would dare treat him as anything less than royalty right? Then Draco remembered what Potter had said the previous day, about his Muggle relatives that really only provided the necessities in Potter's life. He wondered about the specifics of that, but did not say anything.

"These are your rooms. Mother had them prepared and dressed for your arrival. Like Father said, you are welcome to any part of the house, but these rooms here are yours to do with as you please for the time you will be staying with us," Draco replied automatically.

He remained subdued in the face of Potter's obvious shock, ever the cool Mafloy, ever the proper Pureblood. His family's reputation was done…in the gutter, and when the Wizengamot's ruling hit the papers it would only get worse. Draco could already tell what they were going to say. They were going to accuse his family of bewitching Potter, of blackmailing or threatening him. Those who knew of his mother's daring lie to the Dark Lord would accuse them of demanding a life debt from Potter.

Even if Draco's mother had written it into her letter to Potter as a last resort, all three Malfoys knew that the killing of the Dark Lord more than paid Narcissa's life debt. Narcissa had only written it in the first pace because she knew that Potter wouldn't be aware of this. He seemed to lack any knowledge at all about life debts, in fact it was as if he purposefully ignored them. The public, however, would make his family out to be monsters as usual. It would be weeks before he and his mother could go out in public without a glamour.

So all Draco could do was what he'd always been taught to do. He would remember his manners, proper social etiquette, and he would finish his studies in private. He would bear the public's ridicule with the icy Malfoy calm he was raised to exude at all times. It was up to him to dig his family out of the social grave his father had dug for them. Draco took this duty very seriously.

"This is amazing!"

The bright voice broke Draco from his dark thoughts and he blinked rapidly before his eyes landed on an absolutely beaming at him. He watched as Potter flung the closet open and gaped at the amount of space inside as if it were the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

"There's no need to get so excited. It's just a room," Draco said with the tiniest snort of his usual superiority. Potter just laughed at him and shook his head.

"You don't understand. This closet is like three times bigger than the bedroom I had at my relative's house. This room is probably bigger than their whole house!" the black haired boy exclaimed as he darted over to the window to stare out into the courtyard.

Draco didn't really know how to respond to Potter's excitement. He had this preconceived notion of Harry Potter as a spoiled prince who horded attention, and relished in his fame. A self-sacrificing, brash Gryffindor with a hero-complex the size of Hogwarts. But Potter's reasoning behind standing for Draco's father at his trial and moving in here contradicted that preconception, as did the other young man's enthusiastic response to a set of rooms that really should be the norm for The Boy Who Lived.

"I see, well, Mother will be happy that you approve of them," Draco finally replied in an unreadable tone.

Potter turned to him then, his thoughtful green eyes staring at the Malfoy Heir through thick lenses. They were both silent for a time, Potter seeming to be thinking something over as he looked at Draco. After a few moments, the black haired boy sighed and looked back out at the courtyard.

"Look, I know you're probably not happy with me moving in here, and I know we never got on. But, I am here, and I'll be here for a while since I have to supervise your father's punishment. So can we just…I don't know, call a truce or something?" Potter finally said as he turned his face back to look at Draco with oddly beseeching eyes.

He'd never had that particular expression of Potter's directed at him, and he wasn't sure what to do about it for a moment. Could Draco just forget everything between them and call a truce? He supposed he was just as responsible for their antagonizing of one another as Potter was. He could admit now, after doing some growing up, that he was a little git when he was young. But Potter was right, they'd be living together for a while and it would just be uncomfortable for everyone involved if Draco continued to hold on to that hatred. Potter seemed to have already let it go, and Draco wasn't about to let the other boy best him at anything, least of all being mature.

"I suppose we can come to some sort of understanding, for the sake of the living situation. You did stand for Father in court, which means you're not a completely self-righteous git," Draco drawled. The corner of Potter's lips twitched like he meant to smile, but was unsure if he was supposed to in Draco's presence.

"Or maybe it means I'm especially self-righteous because I stood against the entire Ministry and told them they were wrong and I was right," he said, a slight mischievous tone lacing his words the way it did when he'd told them living at the Manor was his intention from the beginning.

Potter was trying, and Draco could respect that. He let his lips curl into a smirk and shrugged his shoulders at the other boy.

"Well, I suppose your self-righteousness can be forgiven since it kept my Father out of Azkaban," he said, and Potter did smile then.

"Slytherin to the core, Malfoy. Severus would be proud," the black haired boy replied, and Draco nodded.

Even in jest, it felt good to hear someone felt his godfather would be proud of him. Severus Snape had been a heavy loss on the Malfoy family. His father had been friends with the man since Hogwarts, his mother since she married into the family. Draco was very upset when he heard his godfather had not made it through the final battle, but Potter's speech in the Great Hall the morning after had been compelling. Severus Snape, always thought of by the student body as an evil git, was actually the greatest hero of them all. While Potter didn't disclose everything he'd seen in Snape's memories to the others, he did explain everything the man went through to make sure that the Light side won the war.

"Alright, I'll agree to your truce. I suppose it is about time we grew up and stopped acting like children," Draco said, pulling himself out of his dreary thoughts.

"In order for this truce to stick though, I think there are some things we should get off our chests," the black haired boy stated. Grey eyes widened slightly as a fine blonde brow arched in question.

"And what would that be? You're not about to profess your secret love for me are you?" Draco said in a sardonic tone. Potter just stared at him for a couple of seconds before bursting into incredulous laughter.

"Wow…that is a whole new level of full of ego there, Malfoy," the other boy giggled breathlessly. Draco couldn't help but crack a small smile in both relief and amusement.

"Well good, because no offense Potter, but you're not really my type. I prefer my men a bit taller," Draco replied with a smirk as green eyes widened and Potter sputtered.

"Y-you're gay?" he asked. Draco's smirk widened.

"Let's just say I like to keep my options open," he replied. It wasn't exactly a secret when he was in Hogwarts that Draco Malfoy enjoyed straddling the fence between the sexes.

"I never knew…" was all Potter said in reply.

"What about you Potter? Boys or girls?" Draco asked, his eyes glinting impishly.

Potter seemed to be speechless for a few moments, shocked the question had even been asked. Then, his expression turned thoughtful…then confused…indecisive…and finally the Boy Who Lived shrugged.

"Well, I mean I guess since you were honest with me I'll be honest with you when I say I've never even thought about my sexuality. I mean, I guess I'm straight, because I've been attracted to women in the past. I've never even really thought of guys that way," he finally replied. Draco just laughed.

"So have I, but we can leave it at that for now. That's enough talking, let's leave the rest of whatever you wanted to say for another day," Draco said.

He didn't know if he felt up to talking about anything deeper than that. He knew they had a lot to talk about. To start, the years of intense loathing between them, apologies for mutual rudeness and violence, on top of everything from Sixth Year leading into the War. Draco wasn't ready to address any of that yet. Thankfully Potter just nodded happily, turning to his trunk to dig through some personal items the elves had left for him to put away at his discretion. He emerged with a broomstick, grinning like a little boy.

"Let's go flying," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the huge, empty courtyard outside. Draco just smirked again and nodded.

"I'll go get my broom and we can go out to the pitch," he said as he turned to walk out to his own rooms. Potter's "you have your own Quidditch Pitch?" was highly satisfying to hear as he pushed the door open.

* * *

Lucius was in his study when his peripheral vision caught a dash of movement from outside the window. He turned his head to look out onto the grounds of his estate, and raised an eyebrow at the sight of his son and Potter whirling around the Quidditch Pitch together. Lucius was quite aware of the intense rivalry that Draco and Potter had in their not so distant school days. He was happy to see his son putting aside those differences to make their guest feel welcome, and he was glad that Potter was not too stubborn to accept his son's company.

It would make life at the Manor much easier for everyone if the boys weren't fighting every step of the way. Turning his attention back to the study, Lucius continued to ponder his previous thoughts. Since he'd returned to the Manor, he'd been thinking of a way to get his family back into the good graces of Wizarding Society. Usually this would be a selfish action. Before the second war, it would be. But Lucius already knew that he, himself, would probably be hated by the better part of the Wizarding World for a long time. It was his son's future he was concerned about.

How was Draco to land a decent job, if the entire world shuddered in disgust at the name Malfoy? Draco had worked hard in school to get top marks and Lucius wasn't about to let his own failures ruin the bright future his son would've had if not for Voldemort's return. Somehow, Lucius needed to help boost the Malfoy name back into the positive.

Looking back down at his Gringotts information, Lucius continued what he'd been doing since he finished breakfast. He was sorting out his funds, now that he was being forced to pay reparations and fund for the Hogwarts reconstruction. Assigning a separate Gringotts account to each one seemed the best way to go, this way he could just arrange for the payments to come out automatically from each.

"Lucius?" Narcissa's voice queried from the doorway.

Lucius looked up to see his wife looking in on him with concerned eyes. She looked so much better, even just a day after his trial. A good night's sleep had done her well and being at the Manor really did a lot for her confidence. This was her element. After nearly eighteen years of marriage, it had become and would always be her home. Even if she remarried, if her husband agreed to it, Lucius would allow her to stay here.

"Come in, Cissa," he said softly, pushing his chair back from the desk and leaning back in a relaxed manner only Narcissa ever saw. She was the only one he really trusted letting his guard down around.

"Are you going to come down for lunch?" she asked as she came over to perch delicately at the edge of his desk.

Her gentle hand lifted to push some of his hair off his face, his hair-tie having loosened a bit since the morning. Lucius reached up to take that small hand into his two as he looked up at the only woman he would ever love.

"I was going to take lunch in here. It looks as if the boys have buried some demons, and they seem to be having a good time. Potter seems to be somewhat comfortable in your presence as well. I make him nervous, and rightfully so. I thought it would be better if I let him get accustomed to me in small increments," Lucius explained softly. Harry Potter had kept him out of prison and his family from being split apart at the seams.

"I think you are underestimating Mr. Potter's ability to forgive and forget," Narcissa said, a soft smile curling her coral painted lips. "Despite the information our son has previously filled our heads with about the boy, Mr. Potter is a lot more mature than anyone gives him credit for."

Lucius huffed out a short laugh as he rubbed his fingers warmly over the soft skin of Narcissa's hand.

"The boy willingly walked to his death to save the world, Cissa. I think any preconceived notions of his 'immaturity' were obliterated when I learned that," he replied. Narcissa's smile simply widened. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss to her ex-husband's brow and stood from the desk.

"You should come to lunch. Despite our guest's nerves, Draco would appreciate it, and considering Mr. Potter's reasoning behind your exemption from Azkaban was Draco's wellbeing, I do not think the boy will object," she said as she glided towards the exit.

* * *

Harry followed Draco into the house, a wide smile spreading his features handsomely as he and the Malfoy Heir relished in each other's company. Who'd have thought that laying aside their school boy rivalry would've sparked such a deep compatibility to be friends? They had a lot in common, barring the rich wizard vs. poor muggle upbringing. There was still a slight amount of tension between them, but that was only to be expected. Seven years of intense dislike and rivalry didn't just disappear because a truce is called. They needed to spend time together and learn to trust one another as friends.

"That was awesome! I haven't had that much fun in…well, let's just say in a really long time!" Harry said in a slightly breathless tone.

It'd been some time since he'd last flown and he had forgotten how much _work _it was. He was exhausted and it was only two o'clock. Pushing a hand through his sweaty hair he tossed a grin at an equally panting Draco. The blonde looked much more alive than Harry had seen in a while. Flying had put some color back in those cheeks, and the small smile adorning Draco's face made was much better than the emotionless stare from before.

"It was fun. I suppose your company is not entirely abysmal," the blonde replied.

"Oh my! You boys are filthy!" a horrified female voice gasped daintily behind them. Both boys turned to see Narcissa Black standing behind them, her pale blue eyes equally as horrified as her tone. "You had better run upstairs and wash up before lunch is ready. Go! Go!"

The petite blonde woman shooed two now snickering boys up the stairs to their respective rooms to wash up. Clean and dressed, Harry and Draco sat down for lunch with Narcissa. The first day was not even over yet, and Harry already liked living here. Of course, the press hadn't caught wind of anything yet, so it still had yet to be seen if Malfoy Manor would be any better at protecting him from that frenzy than Grimmauld Place had been. Still, it was nice being around the Malfoys, as weird as that sounded even in his head. Narcissa and Draco had gone all out to make him feel welcome, and even though he still held some distrust towards Lucius, the man had graciously opened his home up to Harry.

"I see the two of you have hit it off rather well," Narcissa stated quietly. Harry looked up to the woman and smiled bashfully with a slight lift of his shoulders.

"I haven't been flying in a long while. If I'd known you had your own Quidditch Pitch, I'd have befriended you long ago," he said in a snarky tone, but his green eyes glimmered teasingly. Draco snorted.

"He only wants me for my Pitch, I see how it is," Draco said with a smirk. Harry just smirked back as food appeared on their plates.

"I am glad you two are getting along. I admit, that was my biggest fear about your moving in here, Mr. Potter," Narcissa said with one of her small, cool smiles. Harry nodded in understanding and smiled back at the woman warmly.

"Please call me, Harry, Narcissa. It's weird having someone call me Mr. Potter like I'm not an awkward speccy kid with no social graces," he said with a little laugh. Narcissa's delicate hand came up in front of her lips as she let out a dainty giggle. Draco snorted.

"Oh, are we playing the game where we state obvious short comings. My, my Narcissa, we haven't played this since you were pregnant with Draco and your hormones made you insane," a rich, deep voice purred from the entryway. Harry stiffened a bit at Lucius' entrance, but managed to keep his face clear of the wariness he felt. Being around the older man was going to take some getting used to.

"Let's see, what was it you called me. Hmm….self centered narcissist who could not even wipe his own ass without the help of a house elf."

Narcissa flushed a light pink at her husband's words as Draco's mouth dropped open and eyes widened to the size of saucers. Lucius sat looking smug as his amused grey eyes flickered over his shocked family. Harry, for his part, sat processing what he'd heard for a few moments in slight shock that Lucius Malfoy had just made a joke, before he burst into hysterical laughter. His tension from before lessened slightly in response.

Later that night, Harry lay staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts whirled with everything that happened during his first day with the Mafloys. All in all, it looked like life with his once sworn enemies wouldn't be so bad. At least that's what he thought before he woke up the next day and saw the headline of the Prophet.

* * *

_**Harry Potter Stands for Lucius Malfoy against the Wizengamot!**_

_**Has our Savior been Seduced over to the Dark side?**_

_**By Rita Skeeter**_

* * *

A/N: Uh oh *giggles* guess you'll have to wait til the next chapter to read the whole article =P


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : I'm so glad for all of the reviews so far! You guys have been so positive, and I'm happy the story is being well received! Now, I'm going to give you guys some power over the story here. I kind of feel bad for leaving Narcissa un-paired, because I really do like her a lot. So, I'm going to give you some options for her and you guys can vote on it in the reviews for this chapter. Unfortunately a lot of the men who would be good with her died during the war, so it won't be easy lol and I absolutely refuse to put her with an OC, she's too good for that.

* * *

**Charlie/Narcissa, Kingsley/Narcissa, Amos Diggory/Narcissa, or Krum/Narcissa**

Off to vote with you all!

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Possible Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, RonHermione, Narcissa/?

* * *

**Chapter Three**: Publicity Blows

_**Harry Potter Stands for Lucius Malfoy against the Wizengamot!**_

_**Has our Savior been Seduced over to the Dark side?**_

_**By Rita Skeeter**_

_Once again, Lucius Malfoy has avoided Azkaban as a punishment for his actions. Sources tell us that our dear Harry Potter's impassioned defense of the former Lieutenant of You-Know-Who's dark army convinced the stodgy old members of the Wizengamot that he didn't belong in prison. The Wizengamot's decision to take Mr. Potter's choice of punishment for Malfoy's actions was nearly unanimous._

_Lord Malfoy will be responsible for the finances behind rebuilding both Hogwarts and The Ministry. His magic has been restrained, wand confiscated for a period of one year, and he will be paying reparations to various Ministry backed charities most likely for the rest of his life. He will be under an Auror supervised house arrest for the next two years, and while not an official punishment for his actions, we all know he has already lost his wife due to his crimes. Some would say this punishment was fair, others would say Lord Malfoy got lucky. This writer agrees with the latter._

_The real shock was the Wizengamot's stipulation in regards to agreeing to this punishment. Harry Potter was asked to move into Malfoy Manor to oversee Lord Malfoy's punishment himself, and the Savior agreed!_

_This turn of events has the Wizarding World buzzing with questions._

_First and foremost, why would the Savior of our world testify in court for a man who he knows is guilty?_

_Was our dear Hero coerced? Was he blackmailed by the insidious Malfoy family into doing this? Everyone knows that Narcissa Malfoy, now Narcissa Black, saved Mr. Potter's life on the battlefield. Did she demand her husband's freedom in return for settling that life debt? Personally, that seems like the only way that such an upstanding young man as Mr. Potter would ever agree to testify for the black hearted Malfoy Patriarch._

_Unless it is something entirely different. It is no secret that Lucius Malfoy has a penchant for lovely young men. Before and even throughout his marriage to Ms. Black, Lord Malfoy was spotted with various young male lovers in the past. Perhaps our dear hero has been bewitched by the Malfoy Lord's charms. Was Mr. Potter's defense of Mr. Malfoy just the impassioned plea of a lover to save his partner from the cold grips of Azkaban's Dementors?_

_I suppose we'll never know, since Mr. Potter is so averted to public appearances, but one does wonder. Mr. Potter agreed to move in to the Manor quite hastily. Now, one can only speculate, but to this author it sounds like the beginnings of an illicit affair._

_Reporting for the Daily Prophet, this is Rita Skeeter singing out._

Harry stared at the article in shocked silence, his breath caught in his throat as anger welled up inside of him. The Prophet had printed a lot of things about him in the past, terrible things like that he was crazy, and that he was the next Dark Lord. But this…this was just a whole new level of bullshit. How dare they?

"This has to be illegal! What gives them the right to print this stuff about me?" he growled, one hand winding his hand into his messy hair as the other slapped the paper down on the table in disgust.

The Malfoys at the table all stopped eating and looked over to their guest. Draco, in the past, would have gloated at the article and taken the piss out of Potter for everything that was written. This time, however, not only was his family being implicated as the bad guys in this story…the accusations against Potter were entirely out of line. He wasn't sure if it was their newfound friendship talking or not, but he was just as disgusted by what Skeeter had written as Potter.

Narcissa, for her part, wasn't sure what to do. Potter was obviously upset, but she had no idea how to comfort him. The mother in her wanted to ruffle his hair, hold him to her bosom, and tell him everything would be okay. The proper lady in her, however, knew it was too soon in their acquaintance for such actions to be appropriate.

"Actually, Potter, by Wizarding Law this is illegal," Lucius said, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. Harry looked up from his embarrassed misery to shoot a wide eyed, confused look over at the Malfoy Patriarch.

"What?"

"I do not know how Muggles handle slander, but in Wizarding Law it is quite clearly defined. While publications are allowed to write about public figures, even speculate about them, such speculations as these must be backed by credible evidence in the article otherwise the writer and said publication can be sued by the subject," Lucius explained quietly. Green eyes stared at the older man in shock as Harry took in his words.

"Wait…if that's true then why doesn't The Prophet get sued more often?" he asked. The blonde's lips curved into a slight smirk.

"They have been sued plenty of times, just not recently. As you must know, there has been much more on people's minds than suing a rag like The Prophet over silly rumors. However, they have always been rather aggressive to you. It would be understandable if you decided to do so," Lucius continued.

Harry stared at him for a few moments, quietly going over in his mind what had been printed about him over the years and this ridiculous bit they'd just spewed onto the front page.

"Well, what about you? Did you see what they wrote about you? They're saying you cheated on your wife with other men, and the way they say _young men_ makes you seem like some kind of gross pervert. You may be many things, but that's not one I've pegged you for…and then what they go on to say about your family. I mean, come on…insidious? It's completely out of hand," Harry said, looking up at his hosts with anger in his eyes. He hated The Prophet's penchant for taking things purposefully out of context and making wild accusations with no basis in reality.

A low chuckle broke Harry from his thoughts, and he turned his gaze to meet the amused grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy. The younger man's expression turned even more confused at that.

"Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. While I am not happy about what they've written about my family or Narcissa in this article, there's not much I can do about it now. To take it to court would be a waste of time and resources, as no one really cares about what gets said about the Malfoy family anymore," the blonde man explained calmly. Harry frowned at this, but Lucius didn't allow the boy to comment.

"Also, I cannot deny that I have, in the past, taken a younger male lover here and there. Not underage of course, but it has happened," he explained, a little smile quirking his lips just so. He rather enjoyed the way the boy's bright green eyes went wider than saucers at the admission.

Harry felt his cheeks go hot with blood as his face flushed a deep red. He couldn't believe that Lucius had just said that….like it was no big deal at all. He'd never gotten any idea of what his friends at Hogwarts thought of same sex relationships, but Vernon and Petunia had always been very negatively outspoken against homosexuality. In the Muggle world, it was still something of a taboo, despite the advances in legislation and activism. Harry also couldn't believe how easily the older man had just admitted to cheating on his wife…with Narcissa sitting right beside him.

"Do not be cross, Harry. I was fully aware of Lucius' little dabbles in the male form. In fact, most of the time we enjoyed them together," Narcissa said, a mischievous glint in her icy blue eyes.

Harry just stared at the two, mouth gaping and eyes about as wide as they could be. He'd never met a couple as open about their sexual activities as the Malfoys were. One would think, with as many kids as they had, the Weasleys would be more open, but they were actually rather prudish about such things. Molly blushed at the slightest innuendo, and scolded her sons when she heard them make any such references.

"Close your mouth Potter, you're going to catch flies," Draco's voice snickered from across the table. Harry flushed cherry red, shooting a half-assed glare at the other boy before turning his eyes back down to his plate.

It was silent for a few more moments before Lucius cleared his throat again. When Potter didn't look back up, the Malfoy Head felt a rush of amusement through him. He hadn't realized how innocent the young man was. He wondered if Potter had ever even had sex, but then quelled those thoughts immediately. That was entirely inappropriate, even if the young man was exactly Lucius' type as far as younger lovers went. Well, judging from the blushing, he was a little less experienced than Lucius would prefer, but that was always easily remedied.

'_Enough! There will be no such thoughts about the Savior. I would surely be lynched if anyone ever suspected I could want him,'_ he thought as he forced the thoughts from his mind. He did not miss Narcissa's knowing smirk, however.

"Anyway, Potter, in your case the Prophet was even more out of line when you were younger. Underage wizards have a lot of protection under Wizarding law, speculating about the romantic life of a fourteen year old is quite frowned upon by the law. Both you and Miss Granger would have been within your rights to demand legal action for the things they wrote about you in your youth," he explained.

Harry couldn't believe he was just hearing this now. Why hadn't anyone ever told him about this before? This seemed like something he should have been made aware of as soon as he set foot in the Wizarding World, considering how famous he was before he even arrived.

"I take it from your silence that no one has ever explained this to you before. It is not all together surprising, considering everything else they had to explain to you that was a bit more important."

Harry just sighed, his head flopping down into his crossed arms on the table. What was he going to do? Not only were his friends going to freak, since he hadn't had a chance to write to them yet, but the entire Wizarding World thought he was having some sort of sordid affair with Lucius Malfoy because he kept the man out of prison. Why couldn't his life ever just be normal and easy? Why did everything bad have to happen to him?

He hadn't even speculated on his sexuality. Of course the Prophet would beat him to it.

'_Alright, enough with the inner pity party. I've got to figure out what to do about this,'_ he thought.

Harry scrubbed at his forehead in irritation, looking up when he heard the soft screech of an owl overhead. He froze when he saw the bright red envelope clutched in its claws. No doubt that was from Mrs. Weasley. She was the only one he knew that would send him such a thing, though he supposed he could expect more from his fans soon enough.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! How DARE you move into Malfoy Manor without even a word to us! Here we have all been worried SICK about you, for lack of owls, and we have to find out from THE PROPHET about this decision? You better have a good explanation for all of this young man, or I am going to be furious with you! Those Malfoys are bad news! You are not safe with them! Drag your bad decision making bottom over to the Burrow IMMEDIATELY! We need to talk!"

With that, the Howler tore itself up and fluttered down to the table in shreds. Harry's face was flaming red, his heart beating a million miles per hour as Molly's words echoed in his mind. Finally, he cleared his throat and stood.

"Please excuse me, I'm not really hungry anymore, and it seems I have some Owls to write. I'm sorry you had to hear that," he said, not waiting for an answer before he left the dining room.

The Malfoys said nothing as the young man left the room, quietly understanding that he needed to be alone to think. Narcissa was worried though. The Weasleys could really make things difficult for her and her family. Not only did Potter value their opinion enough, Narcissa believed, that he may change his mind about things. The Weasleys were all seen as war heroes. They could pretty much do whatever they wanted to the Malfoys without punishment. The public wouldn't care.

"Perhaps you should go check on him in a few minutes, Draco."

Lucius' voice brought Narcissa out of her thoughts. She looked over to her son and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, the two of you seem to be getting along. I think he would receive you better than either of us. That could not have been pleasant for him."

Draco simply nodded his understanding. Potter had looked quite upset when he left, so the Malfoy Heir would give him at least a half hour to cool down before going to speak to him. He should have known the Weasleys would throw a fit.

* * *

Harry sat before the large fireplace in his room at Malfoy Manor and collected his thoughts. He had already owled the Minister to get permission to leave for a short time to explain things to the Weasleys. Now, he just had to gather the courage to go over there. He wished the papers would have waited at least one more day to release the story. At least then he'd have had a little time to figure out what to say to the Weasleys to make them understand the situation. Now he was going to have to go there when they were already agitated, and try to make them see his side of the story.

He scribbled a quick note and left it on the coffee table for whoever came after him from breakfast later. He needed to take care of this now. That done, Harry took a fist full of Floo Powder and stepped into the fire.

"The Burrow!" he called out as he dropped the powder and green flames took him to his destination. He stumbled out of the fireplace clumsily and looked up to see a room full of redheads.

"Erm…hey.."

He was being glared at by Ginny, Molly, and Ron…but Arthur, Bill, and George just looked confused. With a sigh, he plopped down on one of the chairs, setting his head in his hands.

"Look, I know you're probably upset about this, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself, but the first thing you should know is that the article in the Prophet was complete shite. They didn't coerce or blackmail me, Narcissa didn't demand anything of me, and I most certainly am not sleeping with Lucius Malfoy. I wanted to tell you myself, but the Prophet released the story faster than I could do that," he said in an exasperated tone.

It was silent for a few moments before Molly came forward, looking slightly less angry and more concerned. She might be very outspoken, and have quite a fiery temper, but when it came to her kids Molly Weasley just wanted to be sure they were alright. She wasn't inherently a bitch or anything. Worrying just made her cranky.

"Harry, love, you know we will always be family. I consider you like one of my sons. All I want is to be sure you're safe. The Malfoys..they've done a lot of bad things, and I know that people can change, but I want to know for certain that you're safe and I want to understand why you kept Lucius out of jail even though the whole world, including you, knows he's guilty. Even if you _were_ sleeping with him, I don't think that you're the type of person who would keep him out of jail for selfish reasons…and I would only be upset because I had to hear it from the Prophet and not from you yourself," the Weasley Matriarch explained in a slow and even tone.

Harry threw her a surprised look at that, but didn't think on it any further. There certainly was no threat of him sleeping with Malfoy Senior, so getting his surrogate family to approve of said man in that context wasn't exactly an issue. He was slightly surprised at how easily Molly accepted the idea of him being gay though, which he filed away to think about later.

Ron and Ginny did not look like they agreed with their mother at all, but Harry was glad to see the other three nodding slowly. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Don't worry. I don't even know where they got that rumor from. From what I can see, Mr. Malfoy seems to be completely in love with his wife_er ex-wife. And as for my reasoning…I didn't do it for Lucius..I did it for Draco. No matter what anyone thinks of him in this room, we all know he was just as much a victim of this war as the rest of us. I mean, he had Voldemort living in his _house_, threatening his family every day. He's really messed up, and taking away one of his parents right now would only make it worse," he explained, watching as realization began to dawn on Molly's face as she murmured what sounded like 'the poor dear' quietly. He knew that she and Arthur would understand, being parents and all, how much children needed that stability to get over traumatic experiences.

"And according to Narcissa, she never wanted to serve Voldemort, and Lucius never wanted to see the second coming either. They were just scared of losing everything, and with Draco in the mix, Voldemort had a lot of leverage over them. It doesn't excuse Lucius from his crimes. He himself admits he's done what he's done and was ready to go to Azkaban for it. I just thought, they're all Draco has left and he's not going to have anyone else around to support him through this. We've all got each other, his friends and family are all dead or on the run," Harry finished, looking around the room to see if it had helped at all.

Molly's eyes had gone soft with understanding, and Arthur was nodding his head as well. Bill looked skeptical but accepting and George's eyes had glazed over in that way that made it obvious he was thinking about all he'd lost, namely Fred. Ron and Ginney still looked furious.

"Well Harry, if that's the reason you did it, then I think it is a very generous thing that you've done. I still don't trust them, and I'm still worried about you living there, but if you think you're doing the right thing then I'll accept your decision," Molly finally said. Harry's 'thank you' was interrupted by an explosion from Ron's direction.

"So that's it then?" the redhead growled lowly. "We're just going to accept that Harry knowingly kept a guilty man out of Azkaban, who by all rights deserves to go there more than any of the others! I was willing to believe you about Snape mate, but this is too much! They're the reason Fred is dead! They're the reason for all of this! Tonks, Remus, Moody, Dumbledore, Sirius! Don't tell me you've forgotten what role Malfoy and his _family_ have played in all of that!"

Harry managed to hold back another sigh. He knew Ron would probably blow up about it. It was just Ron's way. Unfortunately for him, Hermione wasn't around to cool the redhead down right now. She was still in Australia searching for her parents. Ron was supposed to be leaving to meet her in two weeks.

"Malfoy didn't kill any of those people, if you remember, and his parents didn't even take part in the Final Battle, so you can't blame them for any of the deaths that occurred there. They were busy searching the castle for their son…remember? And in case you'd forgotten, Narcissa is the only reason I survived to kill Voldemort, so you might want to show her a little more respect," Harry said back, his green eyes determined and unwavering. He hated that his best friend could never just support him on his decisions without freaking out first. He accepted this as part of Ron's personality, but sometimes it was just exhausting.

"Even if that's the truth, Harry, have you forgotten that Lucius Malfoy almost killed me!" Ginny's voice cried angrily from beside her brother. Harry turned his gaze on to his ex and frowned.

"Gin, I know that..hell, he knows that. But did you not hear me before? I didn't do it for him, I did it for Draco. Can't you understand what he must be going through?" Harry pleaded, willing her to just get it.

"NO! I don't understand! What, he's Draco now all of a sudden? Well I remember how _Malfoy_ was a sadistic little prat that got his jollies off by bullying others and picking on muggleborns. Do you remember the way he used to treat Hermione, or even you!" she shot back. Harry forced back a growl of frustration

"Gin! We were kids! We were kids and we were equally horrible to one another! That's neither here nor there though because we all just lived through a war! Aren't you tired of hating? Aren't you tired of all the depression and hurting and loss? I know I am! Draco doesn't have a huge family like yours to get him through what happened to him! His friends are mostly dead or have fled the country! So I'm just supposed to ignore that because of some stupid rivalry in school?" he asked vehemently. Ginny's eyes just got brighter and brighter with anger, but it was Ron who spoke next.

"Fuck him! What the fuck did he go through? Oh no Daddy's got all this money and nothing to do but spoil me with it. Oh god my Daddy's boss is living in my house with all Daddy's friends! He didn't go through shit Harry! We lost a lot more than he did! Fred is _gone_ because of people like him so don't try to make me feel guilty for what _Malfoy_went through!" Ron growled angrily. And that's when Harry couldn't handle it anymore.

"Are you kidding me? Do you even know what Voldemort was like to his followers?" Harry asked, incredulous that Ron and Ginney could be so insensitive.

"Who cares what he was like! They chose their own paths. They should've seen it coming!" Ginny cried.

"Now children let's just_" but Harry cut Mrs. Weasley off with a shout.

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up both of you! Neither one of you has ever been face to face with Voldemort, so don't you _dare_ presume you would know what it's like having to face him every day of your life! And if you forgot, Draco didn't _choose_ to be a Death Eater, he was never marked. His family was threatened and he did what he had to do to keep them safe. Can you honestly say you'd have done differently if they were holding your mother and father hostage? I saw what he did to his Death Eaters, not even the worst person in the world deserves to be treated like that and I thought you two were better people than to think otherwise! You act like you're the only people in the world who've lost someone, well suck it up and stuff it! You aren't, and you don't have the knowledge to make the judgments you're attempting to, so just be quiet before you make yourselves look like compete idiots!"

Harry was panting when he finished. He turned his back on his friend and ex-girlfriend and started walking to the fire. He couldn't deal with this right now.

"Fuck you Harry! If you think you can talk to me like that then we're through! I never want to see you again!" Ginny screeched at him. He turned back, barely restraining a snarl as his anger refused to calm down.

"I wasn't aware that we were back together, Gin, but fine. I don't want to be tied to a bigot anyway," he said. Ginny huffed and stomped out of the room in the same instant that Ron came flying forward with his fist ready to punch Harry in the jaw. Bill caught him before he could make a full landing, but Harry knew it would still bruise later.

"Ronald Weasley, get up to your room right now! I will not have this violence in my home! We invited Harry here to give his side of the story and try to understand! You have done neither!" Molly growled at her son, whose blue eyes widened incredulously at his mother.

"You're actually taking his side?"

"To your room young man!"

Bill wrestled Ron out the door as George and Arthur stood up to walk up towards Harry and Molly. Molly examined the area where Ron's fist had landed and sighed.

"That'll probably bruise love, but it could have been worse. I'm sorry about him," she said, looking genuinely remorseful as she pulled Harry into a hug. He hugged her back warmly.

"It's alright. I knew he wouldn't be happy about it. It's Gin I'm surprised at. But whatever, this was my decision, and I'm done explaining myself for doing the right thing. If people are upset about it, they can just deal with that on their own," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. George's hand came down on his shoulder and the Weasley twin smiled weakly.

"Don't worry too much about Ronniekins. He'll come around. He's going to get a rude awakening when he goes down to Australia and Hermione chews him out a new one. You know she'd side with you on this one, and I'll be sending the Owl tonight!" he said in a faux bright tone. He was trying to make Harry feel better, and Harry appreciated it, even if George was still too upset about Fred's death to be genuine about his teasing.

"Despite their anger, Harry, you will always be welcome here as family," Arthur added. "Though…if you're going to live with the Malfoys, could we at least ask a favor from you? Just to ease our worries."

Harry pulled away from Molly and blinked up at Arthur in confusion.

"Of course, anything," he said. Molly smiled, obviously on the same page as her husband.

"I think it would be easier for us to accept if we could send someone with you to be sure you're safe over there. Would you be opposed to George coming with you?" she asked. Harry flicked his eyes over to George who just shrugged and quirked his lips in another half-smile.

"Oh, well I guess not but I'd have to ask them first. It's still their house after all," Harry replied. Molly just smiled and nodded.

"Oh of course dear! I completely understand. Just let us know what they say, because it really would make it easier for us to sleep at night knowing you have at least one of us watching out for you there," Molly said.

Harry just smiled at them, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he realized that for the most part, the people he'd come to see as family were accepting his choice without disowning him. Ron he knew would come around once he had Hermione's logical nagging in his ears for more than an hour. Ginny…well, she had reacted in a way that Harry hadn't expected to the news. He understood her anger at Lucius, he really did, but he'd thought her an understanding enough person to see that Draco really needed his father right now. It wasn't like Lucius wasn't being punished. He was basically a squib right now who was solely financially responsible for rebuilding most of what was destroyed in Wizarding Britain.

When Harry came back through the fire into his suite at Malfoy Manor, he was greeted by the sight of Draco Malfoy sitting in one of the high backed chairs in front of the fireplace. The blonde boy stood and steadied Harry as he stumbled out of the floo in his usual graceless manner. With an embarrassed laugh, Harry smiled at the other boy.

"Err..thanks," he said, scratching the back of his head bashfully as Draco just smirked at him.

"No problem. How did your Weasel meeting go?" he asked, sitting back down. Harry sighed, plopping himself down into the adjacent chair. He ignored Draco's jibe at the Weasleys for now. He really didn't want to get into another argument.

"It went alright. They're not happy about this, obviously. Your family and theirs have a long history of animosity towards one another. But...the majority of them are supporting me. Molly agrees I've done the right thing by you. Arthur, George, and Bill all understand as well," Harry explained.

"And the rest?"

"Well, Hermione wasn't there. She's still in Australia looking for her parents. I know she would agree with me though. Charlie's back in Romania so he has no idea, but I don't think he'd be upset," Harry said, cringing as he thought about Ron and Ginny's reactions.

Draco raised an eyebrow at him, as if he could hear the frustration in Harry's mind.

"As you can imagine, Ron wasn't accepting. He threw a fit and punched me in the face after I broke up with his sister for being an insensitive bigot," Harry said, rubbing his jaw where a bruise was already forming. Grey eyes flicked down to the slight purpling on the other boy's skin.

"Ah, so you and the Weaslette are no more?"

Harry just snorted.

"Technically we were never back on, but apparently she decided for the both of us after a meeting with herself that we were together after the war. She broke up with me for defending your family against her, and I told her it was fine because I wouldn't want to be tied to a bigot anyway."

Draco couldn't help but laugh at that. Women, he'd never understand them and he didn't intend on even trying. Men were so much easier to please, and despite what women thought, much more up front with their emotions. A man won't get pissed about some insignificant thing and then not explain why he's angry whilst giving the object of his anger the cold shoulder for a month.

"And how did they take your _relationship_ with my father?" the Malfoy Heir asked with a hint of teasing and mirth in his tone. Harry kicked him in the shin, grinning at the yelp it got him.

"They believed me when I said it wasn't true, but strangely enough, Molly didn't even flinch at the idea of me possibly being gay. She said she would only be upset that she didn't hear it from me personally," Harry answered in a slightly confused tone.

"You seem surprised. Purebloods have no qualms with homosexuality. Since magical children are can be conceived by men and women," Draco said. Harry felt his mouth drop open in shock. Men could get pregnant in the Wizarding World?

"What?"

Draco laughed harder this time. He couldn't believe how naïve the Savior was. Did no one ever explain these things to Harry? Surely Momma Weasel could've found time to sit him down and talk to him, especially since Harry had been dating her daughter.

"Yea. Between a man and a woman, magical children are conceived biologically, like with muggles. But between two people of the same sex, the child is conceived magically. It's a powerful bit of sex magic, that if done right, will result in the magical growth of a child carrying both parents' blood and magical signature," the young Malfoy explained quietly.

Silence descended on the two as Draco allowed the other young man to absorb what he'd been told. As for Harry, he was legitimately shocked and confused by everything that had been said. In the muggle world, one of the biggest arguments against homosexuality was the fact that two people of the same sex could not reproduce together. There were no such grounds for that argument in the Wizarding World, not that Harry had ever bought into such homophobia himself. He wasn't sure what to think though.

Before Hogwarts, Harry had been too young to think of such things. In Hogwarts, he always figured he should like girls, because that's what all the other boys were always going on about around him. That's what was considered normal, as far as he could see. All Harry had ever wanted was to be seen as normal.

"Potter? You're doing an awful lot of thinking over there. Anything you want to talk about?"

Draco's voice broke Harry from his thoughts and green eyes swept up to look at the other boy. Hadn't Draco told Harry that he preferred boys. Maybe he could talk to the blonde about it. Maybe he could get an idea of how one even began to ponder such a thing.

"How did you know?" he asked quietly, causing a finely crafted, blonde eyebrow to wing up in confusion. "How did you figure you were attracted to other guys?"

Grey eyes just stared at him blankly for a couple of moments before realization seemed to bloom behind them and a smirk worked its way over the blonde's face.

"Why Potter? Think you might have a little taste for cock after all?" he asked with a teasing sneer. Harry flushed and glared at the other boy.

"Fuck off Malfoy! I'm asking you a serious question!"

Draco backed down a bit, knowing that Harry must really be confused at the moment. He remembered when he first realized he liked males better than females. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to females. He was. They were soft and lovely, and always smelled pretty. But Draco was the kind of person who liked to give most of the control in the bedroom to his partner. In his everyday life, Draco had to be so in control of every little detail of his life. So in the bedroom, he enjoyed being taken care of by a preferably tall, strong older man who knew what he was doing.

"Well, Potter, let's just say the first time I ever kissed a guy I figured out that's probably where my preferences leaned," Draco explained easily.

"Uh…oh…" was Harry's brilliant reply.

He wasn't sure what to say next. He wanted to ask Draco so many questions, but he didn't want to be inappropriate. They'd only just started becoming friends. Surely prying into the other boy's sex life was still out of the question. It was enough, Harry felt, to even be curious about what sex might be like with another man. He would just hold on to his thoughts for now until they sorted themselves out in his head.

"You should do some experimenting, Potter. You're young, you're the Savior of the world. There's got to be literally thousands of pretty wizards willing to lay themselves out in your bed," Draco suggested nonchalantly, quite enjoying the dark pink flush that spread across Harry's features.

"Uh, thanks…I'll keep that idea in mind Malfoy."

After a few more minutes of discussing what had happened with the Weasleys, Harry brought up George coming to live with them. Draco just nodded his head in agreement. He knew that his parents would do anything to keep the Weasley family off their backs because the Weasleys were quite favored with the public right now.

"We have plenty of room. I don't see why not," Narcissa agreed later on at dinner. Lucius nodded his head as well.

"Just, can you make sure he's in a room near mine. It's not that I don't feel safe here or anything, because you guys have been a lot more gracious than I ever thought you'd be," Harry began. The three Malfoys simply nodded in understanding.

"The reason he should be close is that he's still not really…okay, about Fred's death I mean. It weighs on him pretty heavily still, and he still has nightmares about watching Fred die. I want to be close by in case he needs me," Harry explained to them carefully. He saw Narcissa's blue eyes flash guilt, then soften into something like sympathy.

"Of course, Harry. Losing a sibling cannot be easy. Even though she was insane, I still miss Bellatrix for what she was before the Dark Lord and Azkaban..and I still miss Andromeda after my parents excommunicated her. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to lose a twin," she said.

Harry smiled at the three of them, glad that they were being so understanding. He'd already moved into their house forcibly, and now he was asking to move one of his friends in, a Weasley. Malfoys and Weasleys notoriously did not get along, though Harry had always felt the twins were kind of blazèabout the whole Feud. They just didn't like Draco because he was a prick in school.

"Thank you. I'll go owl them now," he said as he finished his plate and excused himself from the table.

Up in his rooms later, he was composing his letter to the Weasleys to let them know George was welcome. He sent it out and crawled into bed, exhausted from everything that had happened today. He had a lot to think about. Firstly, The Prophet. This really was the straw that broke the camel's back for him. He was going to take them to court this time. Now that he knew he could, he would talk to Lucius about getting a lawyer in the morning. The Malfoy Patriarch seemed to know the most about Wizarding Law, and Harry figured he'd want to get back at the Prophet as well for the things they'd said about his family, and especially for saying that he was having sex with Harry.

Sometime while he was thinking about everything, he fell asleep. It was the sharp rapping against the glass of his window that woke him around two o'clock in the morning. Harry rolled blearily out of bed, stumbling over to the window to let the barn owl that was outside in. Tied to its leg was a note from Hermione.

* * *

_Dear Harry,_

_Ron wrote me about what happened with the Malfoys. As you can imagine, the letter was barely legible and full of rage. Luckily, George's letter got to me first. I just want you to be aware that I fully support you on this. Even if Draco was a prat in school, he deserves a second chance as much as any of us. You saw the things he was forced to do, and Voldemort lived in his house. I can only imagine the kind of trauma that inspired._

_I also think this is an important message for the Wizarding World to grasp. A lot of the Death Eater children have avoided Azkaban because they were deemed too young to have made such a big life decision under such duress. This is true for most, but that doesn't mean that the public will just accept it. People like Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, and Blaise Zabini will all be facing adversity from the public, and from their peers when Hogwarts is reopened._

_It is up to us as leaders in the Wizarding World to show the public that being prejudiced against people like them is no better than what Voldemort and his Death Eaters did against Muggles and Muggleborns._

_I fully support your decision to help Draco, and I will be having some frank words with Ronald when he gets here. If you ever need to talk about anything, please feel free to owl. Also, please keep me posted on everything. I might be far away, but you're still my best friend. I care about what's going on in your life._

_Good luck._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

_P.S.- The owl has been on a very long journey. Please take care of him._

* * *

Harry finished reading the letter, feeling a huge weight lifting off of his chest at the support he had just received from Hermione. He was glad she was on board with him here, because Hermione Granger was the _only_ person in the world who could talk Ron out of his rage induced stupidity.

Harry called the elves to bring food for the owl and transfigured the desk chair into a rather cushy owl cadge for him to sleep in before heading to bed himself. He would send a letter back to Hermione in the morning.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that's all for this chapter everyone! Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave your thoughts and don't forget to vote on who Narcissa will be paired with! You have until next chapter.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well it looks like Kingsley won! Now I just have to think of a way to introduce him into the plot lols!

* * *

**Title**: The Aftermath of War

**Warnings**: Slash, Possible Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings**: Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/Kingsley

* * *

**Chapter Four**: George Weasley is in the House!

...

About a week after the Howler incident, Harry was standing excitedly before the Malfoy Main Floo Fireplace ready to welcome George into the Manor. He was so glad that one of his closer friends was coming to live with him, and he felt it would be good for George to get away from the Burrow, get some distance from Fred's memory and his mourning family. While it was perfectly healthy to mourn, dwelling over the death of a family member would do nothing but continue to break George's already barley held together character.

Taking some time away from the home where he and Fred had grown up together, where his family was still quite deep in mourning over the death of their son and brother would help George to move on indefinitely.

"This, George Weasley," Lucius began quietly, a fine blonde brow arching dubiously at Harry as he looked down at the boy. "He knows his pranks are to be tasteful and non-destructive while he is living under our roof, yes?"

Harry nearly balked at the older man's words. He had already explained to George to keep his pranks outside of the Manor, feeling that the Malfoys in all of their propriety would not welcome such antics. Narcissa, seeming to read his thoughts from his expression just smiled gently.

"Harry, do remember that we are the proud parents of a young man ourselves who wreaked havoc upon our home in his younger years with those two ghouls of his, Crabbe and Goyle," the petite woman said in a slightly amused tone.

Harry did not miss the way Draco's eyes glazed over at the mention of his school friends. He felt a surge of guilt at not having been able to rescue Crabbe along with Goyle and Draco from the fire. He had fallen before Harry, Ron, and Hermione could even get to them. He'd always thought that Crabbe and Goyle were more bodyguards than friends to Draco, but obviously he'd been mistaken if the sorrowful tinge to the other boy's grey eyes was any indication.

The fireplace came to life, distracting Harry from his thoughts rather abruptly. He looked up to see the tall redhead in the green flames step out with a grace that always made Harry jealous of those who had grown up in the Wizarding World. He felt like he'd never quite get the hang of a graceful exit from the floo.

"Harriekins!" a bright voice chirped before Harry was swept up into a pair of strong arms and squeezed within an inch of his life.

The three Malfoys in the room were quite taken aback by the blatant show of genuine affection between two people who weren't even truly related. Narcissa and Lucius watched the Weasley boy cuddle Potter like a small child and the subsequent joy that the younger boy seemed to get from the physical affection. Both made a mental note to subtly pry into why Potter seemed so starved of such affection. They'd always been told he was treated like a god by the muggles he grew up with.

Draco, for his part, was staring at the two boys in utter disbelief. He'd never been that demonstrative with his own mother, let alone with a friend. He watched in fascination as the tall redhead ruffled Potter's already messy black hair and pulled away with a broad smile. George Weasley, one of the twins and only Weasleys that Draco had any begrudging respect for when he was in school due to the sheer brilliance of their pranks and inventions. The older man stood tall and proud, even though there was an obvious air of mourning around him. He turned to Draco's parents first.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home, Lord Malfoy, Lady Black," the redhead said with a slight bow before holding his hand out to Lucius.

A brief look of shock flickered over both of their faces, and Draco was outright gaping now…well, gaping as much as a Malfoy could anyway.

"What? You think that just because we weren't well off like you guys, the Weasleys don't _know_ proper pureblood etiquette?" George said. His mouth turned up in an amused smirk and eyes glittered with mirth. Somewhere off to the side, Potter snorted.

It was Narcissa who recovered first and offered her hand to the young Weasley to be kissed. George did so with another small bow, causing the witch's lips to twitch upwards in slight approval.

"Well, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that I am impressed your parents could wrangle the lot of you long enough to teach such important manners. We had our hands full with just Draco," she replied, as Lucius stepped forward to shake the young man's hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure he was a little demon. He certainly was while he was in school," George said, eyes flicking over to Draco who had the decency to flush in embarrassment. The way he behaved in school was a major embarrassment to him. He still couldn't believe what an ignorant brat he'd been.

"And our parents always made sure we knew all the rules. We mostly ignore them since none of you ritzy purebloods would be seen dead with Weasleys before the war. But! Mum told me to be on my best behavior, so there you have it!"

The Malfoys seemed mystified for a few moments before Lucius finally pumped George's arm in greeting and gathered his wits together.

"I welcome you into my home, Mr. Weasley. The Manor is open to your exploration. Although I believe young Mr. Potter has already explained to you our views on pranks," the Malfoy Patriarch said. George just grinned ruefully.

"I won't pull anything destructive here. You guys have things here that are older than Hogwarts. That much I know. I'm not such an inconsiderate prat that I'd go about destroying people's property,"

Narcissa smiled at this and turned to her son, who was still looking at George with an air of wonder and shock, though his expression was carefully honed back into its usual unreadable mask.

"Draco, please show our new guest to his rooms. Your Father and I are going to speak with Harry about his legal situation with The Prophet right now," Narcissa said softly. Draco nodded and beckoned George to follow him. Harry smiled encouragingly at the redhead.

"Don't worry. I'll come see how you've settled in when I'm done."

* * *

Draco didn't really know how to interact with the man who was silently following him up the grand staircase of Malfoy Manor. When he first started at Hogwarts, he was told by his father that the Weasleys were not to be socialized with. His father considered their family an insult to Pureblood traditions and didn't want Draco picking up any habits from their "wild brood of brats" that would ruin the training his father had done with Draco since he was a young child.

Ronald Weasley made it easy for Draco to dislike him. They fell into a rivalry that allowed Draco to show he considered the Weasley family a disgrace to Wizarding Soceity, even after he no longer actually believed it. Ginerva Weasley was never really a big part of Draco's life except as fodder for Potter's temper. He never really disliked her, and he had felt bad for her when he heard she'd been taken to the Chamber of Secrets, worse when he found out it was his own father's doing that she almost died.

But, Draco had always admired Fred and George Weasley. Against his father's wishes, as rowdy and unrefined as they were, Draco admired the way that they went for what they wanted and the downright Slytherin way they planned some of their pranks. Their exit during his fifth year left him in awe for weeks, and he'd respected them for standing up to that cow Umbridge in a way he couldn't bring himself to do.

"So, Little Malfoy, you gonna brood the whole way or are you gonna talk to me? I don't mind either way, but uncomfortable silences are rather...hm…uncomfortable," an amused voice said, breaking Draco out of his thoughts.

The blonde looked up to see the tall redhead grinning mischievously at him, and scowled a bit at the nickname. Draco was a proud six feet tall. He was by no means little. It wasn't his fault that the Weasley beside him was ridiculously tall. He was at least six foot five.

"Your rooms are this way," he huffed, stalking down the hallway where his and Potter's suites were. He heard the other man laugh and ignored the fact that he was a source of amusement in favor of getting to the suite the house elves had prepared for the Weasley.

Draco threw the doors open to the suite directly beside Potter's and beckoned Weasley to enter behind him. The room was nothing special in Draco's eyes, he'd seen every room in this house and his rooms were ornate enough for most of them to seem bland in comparison. From the sharp intake of breath that left the redhead beside him, Draco could tell that George Weasley did not hold that opinion.

"Never figured I'd get the first class treatment at Malfoy Manor, figured you'd throw me in the dungeons, what with me being a redheaded menace and all," the taller man said with that seemingly always laughing tone of his. Draco shot him an unimpressed look before he moved to show him the rest of the suite.

"Your bathroom is through that door, and there is a sitting room through the other that you may fill with whatever entertainment sources you need," he explained quietly. Snapping his fingers, Draco looked down at the loud crack of a house elf entering the room.

"This is Tilly. She will be your personal elf for the time that you stay here. She will be in charge of your laundry, room upkeep, and late hour meals you might want. We have breakfast at eight o'clock sharp every morning, lunch at twelve, tea at four, and dinner at seven. Please dress appropriately for dinner, as if you were going to eat at a restaurant," he continued. The elf bowed to Weasley, who smiled at it warmly.

"Thanks. I appreciate all the trouble you and your family went through to set me up here, even the disgust you must feel for having a Weasley in your home," the redhead said with a snicker. Draco sighed and turned to look at the taller man.

"Your presence here secures Potter's presence here, which is highly beneficial for my family as a whole. His company is also not quite as appalling as I thought it would be. You are welcome here. Things have changed a lot since The Dark Lord fell. I do not, and have never despised you personally. My father might not agree with the way your family ignores tradition, but he has learned to temper that from vile hatred to distant disapproval," he said, feeling that he needed to clear the air a bit.

He didn't want the Weasley to feel uncomfortable at the Manor. Not only would that make him a bad host, it would increase the chance that the other man would leave and Potter with him. He also felt it necessary, for whatever reason, to show the redhead that he had indeed grown as a person since his involvement in the war.

"Oi…I was teasing you kiddo," was the Weasley's response along with another snickering laugh. "Harry's told me all about how you and he are becoming best buddies, and how your family isn't the scary vampires everyone seems to think they are."

Draco scowled at the comparison, but was grateful that the other man seemed to understand. He looked up to meet the redhead's eyes which had softened slightly in his direction. He was quite suddenly aware of the gentle cornflower blue of the iris. It was rather pretty. Perhaps Weasley genetics were not as inferior as his father thought.

"Besides, I'd have known you changed even if Harry didn't tell me. War changes people and you had it worse than most with that gross snake creature living in your house. You look a lot better than the last time I saw you," Weasley said, his mouth curling into what looked like a genuine smile, bereft of its usual mirth.

Not sure how to react to the sudden change in mood, Draco just cleared his throat and stood up straighter.

"Yes, well, we've all lost enough to have changed after the war. Anyway, I'll leave you to get settled. If you need anything Tilly will handle it. If she can't, Potter's room is right beside yours, I'm across the hall and my mother is at the end of the hall."

With that, Draco turned on his heal and walked out of the rooms. He didn't know how to handle the sudden awkwardness he felt, so he stalked back to his rooms to brood for a while alone.

* * *

George watched the little Malfoy go with a slight grin on his face. It seemed the younger man just had no idea how to interact with George after so many years of animosity between their families. He understood, although he was curious to know what Malfoy meant by 'I never personally despised you'. He'd work on the blonde while he was here. Harry had told him that while Draco seemed to be doing well so far, there was still something so very broken about the young man that he would need all the help he could get.

Naturally, George understood this completely. While he was doing far better than anyone could imagine after losing his twin, he was still quite shattered on the inside in ways he wasn't sure how to fix. He had seen it too, in the young Malfoy's eyes…that forlorn hopelessness and confusion a lot of war survivors seemed to have. He figured little Malfoy's brokenness branched from guilt over his actions during the war. Probably from the horrors he'd seen in his own home as well.

'_Maybe helping Harry fix Little Malfoy will distract me from Fred…'_ he thought, feeling that ever present lurch in his heart at the thought of his lost twin.

George turned to take in his room in order to distract himself from thoughts of Fred. Thinking about his twin for too long sunk him into depression so fast he could barely blink. He knew it wasn't an entirely healthy way to deal with grief, but for now it was working. He would deal with the consequences when they came.

The room was absolutely the swankiest room he'd ever been inside. It was large, just the bedroom, with a bit king sized canopy bed set in the middle. Navy colored curtains hung from the canopy with golden tassels and accents. The sheets were also a deep navy color, with dark gold Victorian print that was absolutely lovely. The walls were a lighter blue, almost like the sky outside that really opened the room up to the sunlight pouring in through the large gothic windows. There seemed to be a comfortable looking settee type area made up on the window sill that looked like a good spot for reading. The fireplace was huge as was the couch in front of it.

Overall, the room was gorgeous. George was happy to be staying here, as bizarre as that sounded even in his mind. A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, standing in the doorway.

"I wished to ascertain if you are satisfied with the rooms that I chose for you," she said softly, walking into the room with a fluid grace that all upstanding Pureblood women seemed to have ingrained since birth.

He wondered if his mother ever floated about the Prewett house the way Narcissa did the Manor, but shook it from his thoughts. He knew his mother's family never approved of his father when they were dating, and later on got married. That was why they had such sparing interaction with their maternal grandparents.

"They're lovely, Mrs. Malfoy...err...Lady Black," he corrected himself with a smile in her direction. The woman raised a gentle hand and waved it in a dismissing manner.

"You may call me Narcissa if you wish. You are a guest in my home, after all."

George knew he should be surprised at how gracious the woman was being. He was a lowly Weasley that she was forced to house in order to keep his family out of her business…at least he was sure that's how she saw it. But, he really wasn't so surprised. Narcissa was raised in high bred society where children were taught manners from a very young age. It was no surprise that she was a great hostess.

"That's a bit strange for me, but I'll try to get used to it," he said with a slight laugh. Narcissa's lips curled into the smallest of smiles, her blue eyes warming just enough to see.

"I would like you to feel welcome here. Mr. Potter has been instrumental in keeping our family together, and having someone he knows so well in the house will make his getting used to living here easier. We are glad to have you," she said.

George still felt slightly wary, but he supposed that was only natural. The Malfoys and the Weasleys had been feuding ever since Arthur met Lucius, and George wasn't even sure if either of the men remembered the reason for the start of it. Narcissa was making the effort, so George would do so in turn. Besides, Harry was here. He was George's favorite person to be around nowadays since everyone else treated him like he was made of glass.

"Right, well I will be leaving you to get settled in. If you need anything, I am at the end of the hall and at your disposal."

George nodded towards her as she walked to the door. He turned to start unpacking, but was interrupted by a gentle voice.

"We all lost a lot during the war, Mr. Weasley, even us Malfoys. If you ever need to talk to someone who will not treat you like a child, you may come find me."

It was said so softly, he almost didn't hear it, and the sound of her footsteps leaving followed. He was genuinely shocked at the sincerity in the woman's tone. He knew that Narcissa had lost her sister to the War. While Bellatrix was an insane murderer to most, she was still the woman's sister. Since Andromeda and Narcissa didn't speak anymore he figured it must be hard for her.

'_Maybe talking to someone that's not directly affected by Fred's death would be good,'_ he thought absently as he penned an owl to his mother.

He sent it out and started back on his unpacking. He wanted to be settled by the time Harry came by.

* * *

Harry was slightly uncomfortable when Narcissa left him alone with Lucius. As good a host as the other man had been so far, as grateful and welcoming as he acted towards Harry, the young man just couldn't seem to bring himself to relax completely in his presence. Lucius noticed of course, but didn't ever comment. He figured it was only natural after the turbulent past Harry and he had together.

"Now that Narcissa and I have briefed you a bit on your rights, what would you like to do Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked up at the blonde man, his features scrunched in thought. Harry knew he wanted to take The Prophet to court, but he also wanted to take Rita Skeeter to court in a separate case. He knew what he wanted. He wanted The Prophet to stay out of his business and Skeeter to lose her license as a Journalist. He would bring up the fact that she was an unregistered animagus if he had to. Hermione had the proof.

"I want to sue them both separately. I want to own The Prophet when we're done. It's not my usual way to be vengeful, but they've been writing filth about me and my friends for long enough. The only way I see them stopping is if I'm in control of their resources. They definitely shouldn't be free to treat anyone else like this either," he finally said.

Lucius bit back a pleased grin at the boy's words. Even before the boy had been in such close quarters with his family, Lucius had noted a rather unfortunate habit of the boy dismissing hurtful actions, words, etc directed towards him. It was frustrating if only because he'd always known how much political power the boy could wield if he wanted. Potter could have the entirety of the Wizarding World convinced The Prophet was a worthless rag if he wanted.

"I also want Skeeter's journalism license revoked. She quite clearly needs to be reminded that she needs evidence to print her 'assumptions', and has broken nearly all of the Journalism Laws in place," Harry said, breaking Lucius out of his trance.

He watched the Malfoy Patriarch mull things over in his mind for a few moments. He could almost see the cogs turning in the man's brilliant mind. Harry might not be completely comfortable with Lucius yet, but he was glad to have the man as his ally. Despite the loss of power in his family name, Lucius Malfoy's intelligence and cleverness was definitely something to be reckoned with. Besides, even in the Wizarding World lawyers would fight to represent someone with the fortune that Lucius lorded over.

"Of course, and we can make that happen. There is more than enough evidence to have her license revoked and even force her to redo her certification if you wished. As for The Prophet, they will have no choice but to bow to your wishes. They know the law, they broke that law, and they will not wish you to take these trials to any other publication."

Harry's eyes widened at the information. He could make her redo her certification? That might just be the slap in the face Rita Skeeter needed to start being a respectable journalist. Harry was angry at her for everything she wrote about him, the complete breach of privacy and the lies she spread about him on a constant basis. But he would never usually consider revenge for himself. He wanted her to come back scared to do that to _anyone_else.

"Then that's what I want to do. What do we need to do to get the ball rolling on this?"

When green eyes came up to lock with Lucius' grey ones, the older man was struck by the determination radiating from behind the gaze. He thought it'd be even more powerful without the thick black frames. Was this how Potter had looked as he stared down the Dark Lord in that final showdown? Was it the way he'd looked every time he faced_ Him_? If it was, Lucius could see why the Dark Lord was terrified of the boy. That gaze promised retribution, not only for himself but for the others hurt by Skeeter and the Profit.

"I will contact my lawyers with the case. I can assure you they will be more than happy to take it on. Just having your name on their clients list would be more than enough payment for them to do so," Lucius explained.

Harry nodded, smiling cautiously at the older man. He might not be comfortable with Lucius, but he was grateful for all the trouble this man was going through to help him out. While he was suspicious it was only because of some perceived debt to Harry for keeping him out of Azkaban, it was still nice.

"Oh, I almost forgot. This letter came to you from Gringotts," the blonde said, handing Harry a letter with Gringotts seal on the envelope.

Green eyes widened as the boy took the letter. Gringotts had never taken the time to send him any post before. He wondered what could possibly be wrong. Then his mind froze up, belly churning in discomfort. Were they going to hold him responsible for the destruction he, Hermione, and Ron had caused when they went for the cup? He was well-off but he didn't know if he could afford that whole bill on his own, even with the nice piece of change the Ministry had paid him for defeating Voldemort.

"I would not worry too much, Mr. Potter. I am sure it is nothing more than your coming of age letter. Your father came from a fairly well-established Pureblood family, which is where your trust fund most likely came from. There are no doubt plenty of other vaults that weren't set for you to inherit until you were of age. You also were named as Sirius Black's heir, so there is no doubt you will have some inheritance from those vaults as well," Lucius Malfoy explained calmly, breaking Harry out of his dramatic thoughts. He smiled warily at the other man and nodded.

"Right, well I'll go take a look at this then. Thanks for everything."

With that, Harry gathered himself and left the office. He had a lot to think about and apparently a lot more to find out. He needed to be alone.

Lucius watched the befuddled young man leave the room looking more confused than ever. He didn't realize just how ignorant Harry Potter was to the laws and ways of the Wizarding World. It was like no one had ever sat down to educate the young man on his rights as a Wizard. He above all people really should have been educated as such. Lucius was happy to be the person to do so. It was endearing that the young man was so innocent in some ways, and so eager to learn.

'_I wonder how eager he'd be in…other forms of tutelage,'_ he thought before he could stop himself.

Managing to resist palming his face, Lucius merely poured himself another glass of rich firewisky and drown his perverse thoughts in that. He had no idea where these thoughts were coming from, nor did he want to know. That article must've shocked a part of his brain loose or something.

_'Honestly…lusting after Wonder Boy. What has gotten into me?'_

* * *

_Dear Lord Harry Potter, Heir of the Noble House of Black,_

_The Bank would like to set a date to go over the estates, properties, and vaults that you have inherited in your coming of age. We regret that we did not get in contact with you sooner, but with the world in chaos, it was not easy. It was not easy to pin you down after your coming of age, and rightfully so, as you were in hiding from that vile creature that tried to enslave us all._

_Please send an owl back with an appropriate time and date that you will be able to meet with your estate manager, Granook._

_With our regards,_

_The Gringotts Goblin High Council_

* * *

Harry stared at the letter in complete confusion. He knew that Sirius had named him his heir, but since Sirius had been disowned by his family when he was sixteen, Harry never thought that the man had much more to give him than the house. Grimmauld was more than enough, as dusty and in disrepair as it was. Then there was the whole "Lord" thing…

Why, out of all the things to keep from him, did no one tell Harry he would have to be prepared for something like this? He knew that there was a lot going on, but he felt like he should have been told at least. Being a lord would mean that he was the representative of his family. As the only Potter left, that was a huge responsibility. He felt entirely unprepared for it, uneducated.

Quickly, Harry penned a letter back to the Goblins letting them know he was free to join them the following afternoon. Walking to the end of the hall, where he knew Narcissa's rooms were, Harry knocked gently and entered when he heard a soft voice beckon him inside.

"Oh, Harry. To what do I owe the pleasure?" the beautiful blonde woman asked as a small smile curved her lips. Harry flushed and fidgeted a little under her gaze.

Narcissa nearly smirked when she saw the little flush. Potter really was the cutest thing. She could see why her husband was developing an interest in the bashful young man. She really wasn't one for younger lovers, but if she was twenty-five years younger, she might've made a play for the little sweetheart herself. As it was, she was perfectly glad to yield that pleasure to her husband….when he finally dug himself out of denial that is.

"I got a letter from the Goblins today about my coming of age inheritance," he started, flicking a glance up to see the woman listening intently. When he didn't go on right away, Narcissa stood and walked up to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What is it you wished to speak about concerning this?"

Harry looked away again and shrugged under her touch.

"I was wondering…well, that is…I don't really know much about Lordship or Highbrow Politics...would you come with me tomorrow when I got speak with them? I just don't want to look like an idiot in front of them," he said softly. He was embarrassed, but he figured that she wouldn't ridicule him. Narcissa Malfoy had proven herself much warmer than he ever expected from such a proper Pureblood lady.

"Of course, Harry, and I would be honored to instruct you in our ways. You are a bright young man, and there is no reason that you should need to feel embarrassed because no one ever explained these things to you," Narcissa said in as gentle a tone as she could.

Something in her just wanted to mother the hell out of Potter, since she couldn't bring herself to lust after him like most of the female population of Wizarding England. His previous guardians had much greater tasks to educate the young man about in the past, and she was almost honored to be the one who would teach him how to act in Upper Class Society. Pushing a hand through the ruffled black locks, Narcissa finally pulled her hand away. She wanted to hug him, like he knew no one but the Weasley Matriarch had. Draco was already so self-sufficient. He didn't need her to understand what he needed to do anymore. But Potter's innocence gave the mother in her a sense of necessity that she found she'd really missed.

"Thank you, Narcissa."

His voice broke her out of her thoughts, but the arms curling around her midsection surprised her even more. All she could do was embrace him in return. It was brief, and slightly awkward, but when she pulled back she had the world's greenest eyes shimmering up at her with genuine happiness and the sweetest smile she'd ever seen shining in her direction.

"You are most welcome," she replied, her own lips curling upwards in an unavoidable response.

Harry was glad that Narcissa hadn't freaked out at his impromptu hug. He hadn't fully thought it out before he executed the action, but she'd reacted much better than he expected.

"Alright..well, I guess I'll head to bed now, and I'll let you know like an hour before so we can be ready," he said as he moved towards the door. Narcissa smiled and nodded.

"Good night, Harry," she said.

"Good night," he replied and then he was gone.

When he got back to his rooms, there was a letter sitting on his desk addressed to him from Ginny. With a long suffering sigh, he opened it up. It could be worse. It could be a howler.

* * *

_Harry,_

_I've been trying to get a letter to you since you came to the Burrow a week ago. I guess I should have known you'd have those sleaze-balls add extra wards to their home to keep Howlers out, so I'll just have to make do with writing my frustrations instead of screaming them._

_First of all, I can't believe you'd choose the Malfoy family over your girlfriend. I thought you loved me. You told me you loved me before we parted ways because of the war. You told me we'd get back together after. After what that man put me through, I can't believe you would chose him over me. But that's what you've done and I will never forgive you for it. Consider your chance with me lost._

_Second of all, as if keeping that monster from Azkaban wasn't enough, you went and got my grieving brother involved in your mess. Because Mum and Dad are so worried about you, they sent George to keep an eye on you. He doesn't need that stress. He should be home with his family grieving properly._

_Finally, I want you reiterate the fact that I will never consider getting back with you after this. I thought we'd get back together after the war, get married after graduation, and start a family. You promised we would! But now that you've gone and sullied yourself with that Death Eater filth, I don't want you to ever speak to me again unless it's completely necessary._

_Goodbye and Good riddance,_

_Ginerva Molly Weasley_

* * *

A/n: Well that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed it and I hope you'll like seeing Harry's reaction to this self absorbed letter in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : Here it is! Hope you like it!

* * *

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/Kingsley

* * *

**Chapter Five**: A Whole New World

...

Even the next morning, Harry couldn't believe the absolute depth of the delusion that Ginny had immersed herself in. First of all, Harry had never promised that they'd get back together. He just said he couldn't be with Ginny after Sixth Year because it was too dangerous. Where she'd gotten the idea that he wanted to _marry_ her right after graduation he didn't know. He didn't even know if he wanted to go back to Hogwarts. He certainly didn't need to. He had offers for jobs left and right.

The Auror Department wanted him, the Unspeakables wanted him, the Ministry's top politicians wanted him, and even if he were to turn down every single one of those jobs he'd be able to live comfortably just with the money he'd inherited from his original trust fund, not to mention his coming of age inheritances. Of course he wasn't going to do that. Harry was no lazy sod.

But he also had an idea of what he wanted to do with his life. Marriage was not even in the top ten things on his list of things he wanted to do in the next five years. He felt the rage boiling inside of him. Harry was a patient and forgiving person by nature, but even he had his limits. Sitting down at the desk, Harry wrote his response.

* * *

_Ms. Weasley,_

_Your threats are duly noted as are the delusional notions of your former place in my life. Allow me to form my rebuttal to your argument in this Owl, which will be the last you ever receive from me._

_I broke up with you over a year ago, in the midst of a war that changed us all. I never promised you we would get back together, and I certainly never even hinted at the idea of marriage. I would never do such a thing, since back then I was fully prepared for the fact that I wouldn't live to see the end of the war. Whatever ideas that you came up with regarding our "relationship" were products of your own fanatical mind, not the products of any encouraging actions on my part._

_We went out for like three weeks and I broke it off. I don't see where you got married with children from that._

_I am actually quite amused that you made all those decisions without consulting me for my opinion. Do tell me. Have you planned the wedding already? Have you chosen your dress and bridesmaids? Have you picked the song we'll have our first dance as man and wife to? Well, you'd better scrap it. Even if you were to so __**graciously**__ agree to take me back after I've sullied myself with "Death Eater Scum", I wouldn't lower my personal standards to marry a person who is no less of a bigot than Voldemort himself._

_I think you've turned me off women all together, Gin. How does that make you feel?_

_You know what. Don't answer because those __**sleaze-balls**__, as you so eloquently put it, will do anything to make my stay here comfortable. They treat me like an individual instead of a trophy or a child. __**They **__respect my decisions and my boundaries. I will be asking them to block any and every communication from you in the future. Don't even think of asking your Mum or your brothers, because even Ron in all his outrage would have an issue with the letter you sent me._

_The fact that you would even have the gall to demand __**anything **__of me after everything I've already sacrificed for you and everyone else is just astounding to me. You're obviously a spoiled child who's unused to not getting what you want._

_Well, let me just tell you something. I'm tired of people planning my life for me. My relatives did it. Voldemort did it. Dumbledore did it. The Order did it. You are not welcome to do so under any circumstance. My life is my own to plan now, and you are most definitely not a part of that plan._

_I sincerely hope you have a good life, and that you find happiness with some poor pushover who'll let you walk all over him the way I used to let everyone do to me. But that's just not me anymore. The War changed me. It taught me to be strong. Voldemort's gone and now I'm free. I won't let __**anyone**__ encroach on that freedom…even someone I thought was one of my closest friends._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry James Potter_

* * *

Harry stared down at his reply letter and debated on sending it out. He wanted to give Ginny a piece of his mind, but he didn't want to upset Molly or Arthur by doing so. He needed a second opinion, and thankfully George was in the house to be that second opinion. Harry headed out of his suite and knocked gently against the doors of George's.

"Hey Harry. What can I do for you?"

Harry smiled up at the other man.

"Can I come in? There's something I want to ask you about," he said softly.

George nodded and stepped aside to let his younger friend into his room. To Harry's surprise, Draco was already there, sitting on the couch before the fire with a hot cup of tea in his hand. At Harry's raised eyebrow, the blonde flushed and scowled.

"Mother asked me to see how our new guest slept last night," he explained in a pouty tone.

"He lies. He missed me so much last night that he came simpering to my door at seven o'clock sharp to offer me breakfast," George injected, fluttering his bronze lashes in a mock coquettish manner at Draco who just scowled deeper. Harry couldn't help but laugh. It was good to have George as an icebreaker in the sometimes stuffy Malfoy household.

"Alright, well let me get to the point then so I can leave you two to your breakfast date," Harry said, mischief dancing in his bright green eyes. George smirked, and Harry handed him the note from Ginny.

The smile on George's face melted slowly into a scrunched look of irritation as he read. A derisive snort from behind the redhead distracted both Harry and George from the letter. They turned to see Draco Malfoy reading over the redhead's shoulder. Grey eyes flicked to them and a blonde brow quirked upwards.

"Who does that chit think she is? Talking to Potter like that…Please tell me you aren't just going to take that garbage. She should be lucky you were ever even friends with a drooling fangirl like her," he said in a snotty tone. Harry couldn't help but smile at him and shrugged.

"That's why I'm here actually. I kind of already wrote her back, but I wanted to know if it was too mean before I sent it out. I want her to know exactly how I feel, but I don't want to hurt your parents with it if I can help it," he said, turning to George who just held a hand out for Harry's response note.

"Only you would worry about a retaliation letter being too mean, Potter…" Draco huffed, folding his arms over his chest and leaning forward to read with George. Harry just shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't help his nature.

"I thought we were calling each other by our first names now, _Draco_," Harry replied. The blonde just sighed.

"Do accept my deepest apologies,_ Harry_, for forgetting my once most obnoxious rival is now my best friend," he said in an exasperated tone. Harry just grinned at him in a way he knew would ruffle Draco's fluffy blonde feathers. They might be taking steps towards being friendly, but it was still fun to get Draco going.

"Now, now Baby Malfoy," George interrupted. "As adorable as it is when you pout, it breaks my heart."

Harry couldn't help but laugh when George added to the fun. This was part of what he was trying to do to help Draco get back to normal. The blonde wasn't used to having people take the piss out of him. At home he was being trained to be the perfect Pureblood, and later to be the perfect Death Eater when Voldemort resided in his home. In the Slytherin dorms he was pretty much worshipped too much to be teased by anyone he considered friends. Draco needed to have normal guy friends that would back him up when he was right, have fun with him like only guys could, and tease him when he needed to be taken down a couple of pegs.

"You two are insufferable. Come on now! Let's focus back on Potter's woman troubles. What's the verdict Weasley?" Draco sniped irritably. George just snickered and Harry grinned wolfishly.

"I think it's perfect, Harriekins! This'll really put Ginny in her place and even though she won't say anything, Mum will get a kick out of it. She has always thought she may have spoiled Gin a bit too much, her being the only girl and all. The way that Gin talked to you at the Burrow last week just showed her she was right," George said with a nod. Harry smiled, happy that George thought his letter wouldn't hurt Molly.

"It's just missing one little thing," the redhead said and surprisingly whipped out a quill to scribble something down at the bottom of the note. With that he handed it back to Harry, who looked down to George's scribbled addition, befuddled.

_P.S.- I can think for myself baby sister, so stop trying to use me as a guilt trip against my little brother. Love George! =P_

* * *

After his chat with George, Harry sent the owl to the Burrow and left the redhead with his Malfoy companion. He was glad that Draco was taking an interest in George, but he'd suspected it might happen. They were very similar, in a lot of ways especially since the war took so much from each of them. They were both very broken in ways that Harry couldn't even imagine. Harry was in mourning, but for some reason he never really felt like the war had broken him.

To him the end of the war, heavy losses and all, had freed Harry from the predetermined script that had been his life for seventeen years. If anything, Harry felt stronger. But losing Fred had destroyed George from the inside out, and whatever had happened to Draco while under Voldemort's thumb had done the same for the blonde. He was hoping that between the two of them, and under his own guidance, they'd both slowly rebuild as stronger men.

"Narcissa? I just wanted to stop by to let you know that the meeting is in an hour for Gringotts. I'll meet you at the front doors, if you still want to come that is," he said when he stopped at the front of Narcissa's suite doors.

The large doors opened to reveal Narcissa clad in a long silver silk robe, tied at the waist and open enough at the top that her deep emerald night dress was visible. Harry flushed at the sudden realization of just how good-looking Draco's Mum was. Her blonde hair tumbled down around her shoulders, and her skin was a smooth ivory. If he wasn't so clueless and quite frankly uninterested in women after what happened with Ginny, he might be interested. Well, and if she wasn't so much older than him. Harry always felt it'd be weird to date an older woman. It'd remind him too much of a Mum.

He was disrupted from his thoughts when Lucius Malfoy stepped up behind his ex-wife, clad similarly, though his robe was open to reveal the broad, creamy expanse of his chest. Harry's face only heated further.

"Of course I still wish to go with you, Harry. If it is alright with you, Lucius would like to tag along. The Aurors have agreed to allow him to accompany us this once, in lieu of the nature of our outing. Since he is your legal counsel until our lawyers send someone, they said it was alright to allow him out of the house with you. As long as there are at least two of them with us to escort us, that is. There are things about being a Lord first managing his coming of age accounts that he knows much more about than I do," she said, a soft smile curling her lips. Harry just nodded and smiled back awkwardly.

"I would also like to take you to the Minister so you can formally file your claim with him against The Prophet and Ms. Skeeter. His signature approving your case will go a long way with the Wizengamot. They will see that as firm support of your side of the story," Lucius explained.

Harry just nodded, trying not to look at the man because looking at him in such lack of formal clothing was causing Harry to feel some really uncomfortable things. He hadn't even really thought about whether he might be attracted to men or not yet. After his talk with Draco, he wanted to get the chance to figure it out before he just accepted it. Besides, being attracted to Lucius Malfoy didn't really seem like the best idea. He'd already gotten enough shit for just helping the guy stay out of prison. If he started to actually see the older man that way, he would only prove the rumors about his reasons for doing so right in the public's eye. Harry really just wanted to be normal.

"I'll meet you both downstairs when it's time. Thank you for taking time to do this."

Both of the blondes in the doorway nodded.

"Of course. It is no trouble. We will see you soon."

* * *

Draco walked his guest to breakfast, knowing that Potter and his parents wouldn't be joining them. His parents were going to Gringotts with Potter to help him sort out his inheritance, which left Draco alone with George Weasley. He wasn't sure what to do, but he found he didn't dislike the older man's company. Despite his jesting nature and penchant for pranks, George Weasley was surprisingly mature. He was also surprisingly intellectual, but Draco really should've seen that coming. An idiot wouldn't be able to create the things that the Weasley Twins invented for their shop.

"Do you have a preference for breakfast?" Draco asked as he sat down at the table. The redhead sat across from him, looking around the dining room in interest before those pale blue eyes focused back on Draco.

"I'm not that particular. I'd be fine with scrambled eggs and bacon," George said with a smile and a shrug. Draco sighed and ordered the house elves to prepare two French omelettes, toast, and some bacon.

They ate in a semi-comfortable silence for a few moments, neither really knowing what to say to the other. Draco was curious about the other man. He wanted to know what was going on behind those vibrant blue eyes. He wasn't sure if it was his own brokenness that made him so curious about the depth behind George Weasley's shattered soul. He knew the other man had lost his twin, but couldn't even imagine the pain that something like that could cause.

George was feeling something of the same towards Draco. He was curious about what had happened in this house under Voldemort's reign to change the blonde so immensely. He'd barely known the blonde in school. What he knew of the younger man was mostly stories told to him by his younger brother Ron about what a prick the kid was. But…if Draco was a prick in school, which George knew he was, the blonde had definitely changed since then. He'd been nothing but courteous to George since he arrived at the Manor.

"What would you like to do today?" Draco asked, flicking his eyes up in time to see the redhead blink out of his own deep thoughts.

"Err…I dunno. What have you got to do around here?" was the reply.

"Well, there's a library on the second floor. We have extensive gardens, horses if you'd like to ride, and a Quidditch Pitch in the back."

George felt his eyes go wide at the mention of a Quidditch Pitch. He'd known the Malfoys were richer than the Muggle Royal Family, but he hadn't expected that. It was exciting and daunting all at the same time. While he'd love to get back on a broom after so long, flying without Fred beside him made his heart clench slightly.

"I've never ridden a horse before, why don't we do that?" George suggested, working a wan smile back across his lips and hoping that the blonde didn't notice his little slipup.

He really wasn't ready to start talking about Fred, and certainly not with Baby Malfoy. As interested as George was in Malfoy's experience during the war, he didn't exactly trust the kid yet. Being a man of an unusually open mind, however, George was more than willing to give the blonde the benefit of the doubt. He'd seen how much the timid, eager to please Harry had changed into a strong, confident young man after the war. Obviously Baby Malfoy had changed a lot as well.

"Of course, after breakfast I'll loan you some of Father's old riding clothes. He won't mind. We can get dressed and head for the stables," Draco said, feeling his body spark with excitement. He hadn't been riding since before fifth year…before Voldemort decided his home would be the best base for his Death Eater's operations.

"Alright sounds good. Do you think it'd be possible for me to head into Diagon Alley so I can check on the shop? I've got a couple of employees overseeing business while I'm here, but I am the owner. I should pop in at least once or twice a week to be sure everything's running smoothly," George said, looking up at the younger man to see how his request was being received.

Draco blinked at the other man, slowly chewing his mouthful of food. Did Weasley actually think that Draco would stop him from going to see how his business was doing? The blonde knew he wasn't the warmest bloke in the world, but he certainly understood the importance of keeping one's eyes on one's assets.

"Of course. I'm not under any house arrest or anything, so I can come with you if you like."

Draco froze for a moment after his reply and thought on his words. What was he thinking asking if he could come along? Weasley was only even at the house for Potter. Naturally he'd want to go into Diagon Alley to get away from the Malfoys he was being forced to live with. Weasley interrupted Draco's thoughts, however, by thanking him.

"That sounds great. Thanks. I just want to see how my employees are doing handling the shop on their own. I haven't been in there since…"

He trailed off, and Draco immediately understood what he'd meant to say. It was silent for a few moments after that, neither boy really knowing what to say in lieu of the sudden somberness that'd descended on the room.

"Well, let us finish breakfast, and we can go check on your shop first, hm? It's better to go riding later in the day anyway. The sun is less intense," Draco said, changing the subject from Weasley's dead twin craftily.

The redhead just nodded his approval and they continued to eat in silence.

* * *

When Harry arrived at Gringotts, he stared up at the imposing building with all the nervousness he had in his first year. He wasn't sure what was going to happen in there today. He wasn't sure what exactly being Lord Potter was going to entail, except that it was going to be a huge responsibility. Now, it wasn't as if Harry was unused to having huge responsibilities thrust upon him in the Wizarding World. It was more that he'd just freed himself from his previous one and was not exactly looking forward to being saddled with a new one so soon.

A gentle hand on his shoulder brought him out of his anxious thoughts and he turned to see the assuring gaze of Narcissa Black staring back at him.

"You need not be so anxious, Harry. Being a Lord is not as terrifying as you might think. Once you get the hang of handling your assets, it will be much easier," she said to him.

"And we will help you to learn as quickly as you can," Lucius added. It made Harry feel a little bit better, but his belly was still doing odd summersaults inside of him.

When they got inside, there was a Goblin already waiting to take them up to the meeting. Narcissa, Lucius, Harry, and the two Aurors who were assigned to this outing all headed up to a private office in the upper levels of the bank. Waiting for them, was a middle-aged looking Goblin with dark hair and the telltale beady black eyes.

"Ah, Lord Potter, it is an honor to finally meet you," the Goblin said, extending his hand to Harry. "My name is Farnuk, and I will be the primary manager of your estate."

Harry returned the greeting and took the Goblin's hand and shook it before sitting down with Narcissa and Lucius flanking him on either side. Farnuk took his seat as well and smiled a pointy-toothed smile at Harry.

"You must be very confused as to why we haven't contacted you sooner, but please believe us that with the war in full swing, we did not have the means to contact you, or to meet with you this way," the Goblin said. Harry just nodded his head in understanding.

"No, it's alright. I'm not sure you'd have been able to find me on my seventeenth birthday anyway. I went from one heavily warded house to another within minutes, and then I was on the run for a long time afterwards," he said, hoping to assure Farnuk that he was not upset.

The Goblin seemed surprised at Harry's assurances for a moment, before he smiled his creepy little Goblin smile.

"Ah, yes. I had not believed the rumors of your humbleness. Griphook often spoke of Harry Potter, the wizard who did not forsake other magical beings as lower life forms. I can now see, he was correct," Farnuk said.

Wide emerald eyes blinked in bemusement at the Goblin. He was only acting towards the little man the way he would any other person he talked to.

"Mr. Potter is not like most wizards, Farnuk, as you will learn very soon," Lucius said, causing Harry to look over at him and flush delicately. The older man did his best to stomp out any inappropriate thoughts the lovely dusting of color against the boy's pale features. He saw Narcissa smirk out of the corner of his eye and shot her a look that only managed to widen it.

"I am grateful to be in charge of such an honorable man's accounts," Farnuk said, bowing his head a little in respect to Harry, who just nodded and smiled bashfully in return.

"Now, on to the business at hand. Lord Potter, as you are probably aware of, you are the sole heir of the Potter and Black Estates. The Potters were a very wealthy pureblood family that began early in the history of the magical world. They once owned many properties, and shares in several Wizarding businesses. However, during the first war, your father came to us and asked us to liquidate all of those properties and stocks into a massive vault that you would inherit on your seventeenth birthday, as well as to fund the Light," Farnuk explained. Harry nodded, wondering why his father would do such a thing. His curiosity was satisfied quickly by Farnuk's continued explanation.

"Lord James Potter knew that if he and your mother were to die, you would be sent into hiding. They knew you would not be raised in our world, and so they did what they could to lessen the burden of the Potter Estate. As it stands, you will be inheriting ten million galleons (_50000001.59 British Pounds)_, as well as the title of Lord Potter in our world," Farnuk said, causing Harry's eyes to go wider than dinner plates.

Growing up with the Dursleys, he never even dreamed of that kind of money. Even when he was in Hogwarts, knowing he had a decent trust fund, he didn't think it could possibly be this much. Farnuk wasn't done surprising him yet, however.

"Now, on to what you will be inheriting from the Black Estate. When Sirius Black died, he bequeathed in his will Grimmauld Place, to be transferred to you immediately. However, the many vaults of the Black Estate would be held in a trust for you until you were of age to claim them, as well as three Black Properties. Here is the clause in his will…"

The will floated up into the air and the room was suddenly filled with a voice Harry had not heard since the Department of Mysteries almost three years ago.

"_I, Sirius Black, in sound mind and body, hereby leave all of my monetary assets, as sum of nine million galleons, to my Godson Harry Potter, to be held in trust for him until he is of age. I leave with him the honored title of Lord Black, to do with as he will. Along with Grimmauld Place, I leave Harry the Black Summer Home in Greece, the Villa in Italy, and Black Manor. The latter of which I wish him to transfer to the ownership of my beloved cousin, Narcissa Malfoy._

_We may have fallen out, and you may be married to a gigantic prick…no scratch that, a tiny slimy prick no woman should ever have the unpleasantness of touching in his life…but you are still my cousin. To me you will always be the beautiful princess who still talked to me even when the rest of the family shunned me. I leave you the Manor, because I know it was your favorite place to be when we were growing up..and some small part of me hopes you will open your eyes one day to see you can do so much better than that Malfoy bastard._

_I know that my Godson will do as I wish, which is why I have named him the primary benefactor of my will as soon as he has come of age. I hate to burden you with this Harry, but since I've left everything but Black Manor to you, it shouldn't be too hard. I love you."_

When the clause was finished, the will rolled up and the room was silent. Harry didn't even realize the tears that were rolling down his cheeks until a slender hand came up to brush them away. He turned to Narcissa, who while not quite crying, had a gleam of unshed tears glimmering in her pale blue eyes. Farnuk seemed to understand that there was time needed to regroup, and did not start speaking for another few moments.

"Lord Potter, would you like me to give you the forms you must sign to do as the late Lord Black requested?" the Goblin asked, in a tone not quite gentle, but much less harsh than his usual speech pattern. Harry wiped the rest of his tears on the backs of his hands and nodded his head.

"Yes..yes please. It's about time someone carried out Sirius' wishes," he said, taking the contracts from Farnuk that, with his signature, would transfer Black Manor into Narcissa's hands.

"There is also the matter of the title of Lord Black that must be dealt with," Farnuk said when Harry had finished. He sent the papers through the inter-office mail system of Gringotts to the council to be legitimized.

Harry turned to Narcissa and Lucius in question. Lucius smiled in response, and sat forward to murmur to the younger man what he thought should be done.

"There are only a few Blacks still left alive today. Narcissa is one of them, but she has no interest in the responsibilities that would come from such a title. I suggest leaving the title to the last heir of the Black blood. I believe he is your godson?" the blonde man said.

Harry was shocked that Lucius suggested Teddy, the son of a werewolf and a half-blood abomination as far as most purebloods were considered, as the future holder of the Black title. But, the advice was perfect. Harry had no desire to have any more titles. Teddy deserved to inherit the legacy of his Family after everything he'd lost.

"That's perfect. Do it. I also want half of the Black's financial estate to be put in a trust for Teddy, a third of that to be released when he starts at Hogwarts to pay his tuition and buy his supplies," he said to Farnuk, who nodded and made a note down on the records, which Harry signed off on.

Lucius was pleasantly surprised at how quickly Harry was catching on to managing his Estates. There may not be much more than proper etiquette and the Wizarding Stock Exchange to teach the boy. Lucius knew he'd have to teach Harry to budget his funds, however, because so much money in the hands of one so young could spell trouble without the proper guidance.

"Very well, Lord Potter. I will make sure it is done before the week is out," Farnuk agreed.

Harry smiled at the Goblin, feeling a big weight lifting off of his shoulders. The meeting hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it would. He knew he had the means to learn what he needed to in order to act properly in his new place in society. The stress seemed to melt away before Farnuk had his final say in the meeting.

"There is one more inheritance that you should be aware of before you leave today, Lord Potter," the Goblin said, his tone suggesting something wasn't right about what he was going to say.

"Because Tom Riddle did not leave this world having named an heir, as the man who defeated him, by our most ancient laws, you will be the one to inherit what was left behind," Farnuk said.

Harry's heart froze in his chest at the news. He thought he was rid of Voldemort for good after he killed him. Of course, thinking he was immortal, good old Tom wouldn't have named himself an heir…and of course the Wizarding World would have some obscure, ancient law saying Harry was the one who'd have to manage his estate in his death.

"I don't want it…" he said almost immediately. Farnuk blinked at the quickness and ferocity of Harry's reponse.

"Now Harry, the Dark Lord had quite a sizable amount of money before he.."

But Lucius' words were cut off by Harry's immediate denial.

"NO! That money is filthy with the blood of the people he took it from. I want none of it. Take everything he ever owned, liquidate it, and send it to the families of the people he murdered! Any and all of the families that you can find that lost someone to that _madman!_" he growled angrily. He was not about to let Lucius Malfoy convince him into keeping Riddle's money just to add to his vaults. He wanted nothing to do with Voldemort's belongings.

"Mr. Riddle's vault included about four million galleons, as well as the deed to Riddle Manor. You want us to liquidate everything, Lord Potter?" Farnuk asked dubiously, like he couldn't understand Harry's reluctance to increase his wealth.

"Yes…everything. I want Riddle Manor torn down and the land sold. Then, after the vault receives those proceeds, I want reparations to be sent to _every_ single family you can find who lost someone in this war," he said, his tone serious and inarguable.

"Yes, Lord Potter. I will do as you wish," Farnuk said, scribbling down a few note on the paperwork and handing it to Harry to sign.

The papers were filled out in complete silence and when everything was said and done, Harry's affairs were all settled. He said his goodbyes to Farnuk, who promised to draw up a list of stocks he thought would be good for Harry to invest in and send it to the Manor for approval. Harry, Narcissa, and Lucius left Gringotts in complete silence that was slightly awkward.

The walk to the Ministry wasn't a long one. When they finally arrived, Narcissa placed a hand on Harry's tense shoulder and squeezed softly.

"Harry, I want you to understand that Lucius by no means meant to offend you. He just wanted to make sure you were aware that you were entitled to that wealth, not to feel guilty about it," she explained in a gentle tone. Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not mad at you, or him. I just want nothing more to do with Riddle or his assets. His money is soaked with the blood of thousands of innocents, and I don't want any part of that. I might have killed him, but the families of the people he killed are more entitled to compensation than I am, and that is what's going to be done," Harry replied evenly. Narcissa nodded, and Lucius sighed.

"Understandable. I meant no offense. Now let us go inside and get this case against the Prophet started," he said, gesturing to the entrance to the Ministry.

Harry nodded and followed the two older adults inside. This was the part of the day he was most looking forward to. Getting Rita Skeeter and the Prophet tossed off their thrown as the Wizarding World's top gossip rag was a goal he would not readily give up. Their first stop was to get the paperwork they needed to fill out and have signed by both Harry's solicitor, who Lucius would be signing in place of for now, and Minister Shacklebolt…who was their second stop of the day. Harry and Lucius went off to get the paperwork, while Narcissa went to get them an appointment with the Minister.

When they returned, it was to find Narcissa chatting amiably with Shacklebolt in the hall outside of his office. Harry saw Lucius arch perfectly defined blonde eyebrow in his wife's direction, who currently had a slender hand resting on the Minister's forearm. Kingsley turned with a bright smile, and an almost invisible flush along his cheeks when Harry stopped before him, grasping the younger man's hand in a firm handshake, since hugging the boy would be completely unprofessional in the middle of the Ministry.

"Mr. Potter! So good to see you again! It's been a couple of months!" he said, gesturing for everyone to follow him into the office. Harry just smiled and blushed gently.

"Call me, Harry, Kingsley. We fought a war together. I think that makes it okay," he said with a nervous laugh. The other man just smiled and nodded, sitting down at his desk as the three people in his office took a seat as well.

"Well then, Harry, what can I do for you today?" he asked.

"I want to sue the Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter, separately for the defamation and slander of my character over the past seven years…"

* * *

**A/n: Sorry it took so long guys! My work schedule has been INSANE! But now the season is winding down so I'll have a little more time. ^^ Hope you enjoyed this! Please leave me with your thoughts.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : Soooo sorry for the wait. I really thought I'd have more time when my work schedule cleared up, but after _that_ happened my school schedule went INSANE. I'm trying hard though to get the chapters out. I got a few reviews saying that they didn't like the idea of MPreg, but as far as I am concerned, it's been in the warnings since the beginning of the fic, so if you decide to stop reading because of that I won't lose sleep over it.

I also got a complaint about pairing up Narcissa so soon….why should she not be paired? Why should Narcissa be left alone while her husband and son are developing romances and moving on with their lives after the war? I'm not saying that this thing with Kingsley is going to move fast. In fact, by the end of the fic, they might only just be officially seeing one another, but I believe that Narcissa deserves some happiness after all she's gone through. And she's been through a lot, which you will soon see in this chapter.

I got a rather scathing review about how I apparently "keep" spelling The Daily Prophet as The Daily _Profit_…well, I recently went through all the chapters to edit them and that only happened 3 times in the WHOLE story. So before you open your mouth to be rude, try not to make an ass of yourself. It states clearly in the warnings that I do not have a beta reader. Sometimes I don't catch things, sometimes I make mistakes. I'm human, not a robotic spellchecker…..that being said, if someone does happen across a spelling error, please point it out to me in a respectful manner so that I can fix this. I can only edit my work so well, after looking at it for so long, the errors seem to disappear from my sight and I do not have a beta-reader.

Now, on to the show!

* * *

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/Kingsley

* * *

**Chapter Six**: Male Bonding

Draco Malfoy had the cutest, perkiest little bum in all of Wizarding Britain. This was something that George Weasley was made unceremoniously aware of the moment the slender blonde glided down the main staircase of Malfoy Manor wearing the tightest pair of pants the redhead had ever seen. They were riding pants of course, stretched like nylon over the long endless legs of the littlest Malfoy. The black riding boots were molded to the blonde's perfectly toned calves, just as the seat of the pants molded beautifully to his firm rear.

George managed to pry his eyes away from the other man's ass before Draco had turned to meet his eyes. He was kind of surprised at himself. Ever since the Final Battle, George had been almost completely emotionally numb. He'd felt nothing…not even really grief yet, even though in his dreams his subconscious acted out the grief his conscious self seemed to have yet to fully experience. So, for him to catch himself staring at Draco Malfoy's admittedly fine ass was something he wasn't expecting.

It was nice though…to know that he could still feel such things.

"Are you ready to go?" the blonde asked him, arching one meticulously groomed brow at the redhead.

George just grinned and nodded. He followed Baby Malfoy out of the main entrance and through the grounds of the Manor in silence. They'd originally planned to go see the shop first, but when it came down to it, George couldn't bring himself to leave. He'd gotten the closest to an emotional outburst since he first laid eyes on Fred's dead body in The Great Hall. Malfoy had taken it in stride, however, and suggested they go riding first to calm his nerves.

"Wow, you know, every time I think I've figured out how rich you guys are…you pull something like this out of your ass," George said with a laugh as he looked over the perfectly maintained, full-sized Equestrian Course just behind the west courtyard of the Manor.

Mercury colored eyes turned to the redhead, glinting in the sun in a way that had George noticing suddenly just how uniquely colored they were. Even Malfoy's parents' eyes weren't so vibrant. Lord Malfoy, while obviously the one Draco inherited his eye color from had a much darker and stormy color to his iris, like thunderclouds. Narcissa's were the color of glacial ice, a very pale blue. Perhaps the combination of these two genetic traits had created the bright silver that seemed to shimmer under the thick row of platinum colored eye lashes.

"I assure you, Weasley, my arse is not so cavernous," Malfoy replied in a flat tone that took George a few moments to realize was Draco joking. He burst into laughter as he followed the blonde towards the stables to get their horses.

Of course, Malfoy really only looked more irresistible sitting astride a striking black stallion, hips swaying to and fro with the movements of the horse's body as they plodded towards the course.

"I'm sure you're a tight virgin flower, Malfoy. No need to get all feisty with me," George said in his usual amused tone, loving the way that Draco's pale skin flushed deep red at his words.

"Shut up and follow me, Weasley," he heard the blonde growl irritably.

'_I don't know if this is relieving stress or creating more of it…but I'm not complaining,'_ George thought with a sigh and a grin as the Malfoy Heir worked his stallion up to a gallop and started jumping rails and fences, his tight little rear lifted up in the air off the seat with every graceful leap.

* * *

If Kingsley was shocked by Harry's announcement, he hid it very well. Harry couldn't see an ounce of surprise on the dark skinned man's face. After a few moments of quiet thought, the Minister of Magic smiled at his young friend and nodded his head.

"Right, of course you do! I had been wondering when you would finally get sick of the drivel they were printing about you. What do you need from me?" he asked in his bright and amiable tone.

Harry blinked in surprise at Kingsley's easy acceptance, and apparent eagerness to help him out. He supposed he shouldn't be all that shocked, considering that he and Kingsley had been friends long before the other man was Minister. They'd been through a war together as comrades. But Harry, because of his neglectful upbringing, was always surprised when people so easily showed him kindness.

Both Narcissa and Lucius felt a wave of relief hit them at the Minister's easy acceptance of his part in this case. They both would like nothing more than to see the Prophet suffer, even if they couldn't make them do so because of what was written about their own family.

"I would just like you to sign off on my side of the case. If I have you backing me up, the Wizengamot will be more inclined to validate my claims," Harry explained.

The Minister of Magic nodded in understanding. He would support Harry in pretty much any endeavor that the young Savior wanted to begin, within reason of course. And Kingsley knew Harry well enough to know the sweet young man would never ask for the unreasonable.

"That sounds fine. Would you mind if I looked over the paperwork while you're here? I'd like to see if I can add anything useful, and if you would like me to testify I am more than willing to supply the memories I have of the way the Prophet demonized you and Dumbledore in your fifth and sixth year," Kingsley replied.

Harry nodded, looking to Lucius who produced the paperwork they'd just finished filling out before they came to find the Minister. He slid it over the table to the dark skinned man, who grinned at Harry, and looked down to read what he was given. Harry was slightly nervous, though he didn't know why. He knew Kingsley wasn't going to turn him down now, after having already agreed to help. He was just uncertain if even this would be enough. As if sensing his anxiety, Narcissa laid a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed. Lucius caught his eyes, giving him a firm nod and the barest hint of a smile which caused Harry to flush lightly.

"I'm impressed Lord Malfoy. Over a year out of practice and you're still sharp as a tack on all the details of the law," Kingsley finally said, flicking his mocha colored eyes up to shoot Lucius an impressed look.

Lucius was taken aback by the compliment. He certainly didn't expect it from the Minister of Magic, a man who had fought on the opposite side of the war from him and for all means should hate him like the rest of the world.

"Thank you Minister Shacklebolt," the Malfoy Patriarch replied smoothly.

"Yea, he's really sorta brilliant," Harry chimed in, causing unreadable grey eyes to flick to his smiling face. "I wouldn't even have bothered suing them if Lucius hadn't explained to me just how out of line the Prophet and Skeeter have been in regards to me."

An odd sort of warmth filled his chest as Potter complimented him. For some reason the idea that the younger man trusted and considered him useful, made Lucius feel very good about himself. He didn't know why. If it were anyone else he wouldn't even have a second thought. He heard Narcissa's nearly silent snort of amusement from beside him.

"Yes, well I have always heard good things from the people who you used to work with, Lord Mafloy. Despite all of the bad things said about you, I've never heard anything but that you were a competent and intelligent person," Kingsley said as he whirled his signature down on the paperwork for Harry's case. Lucius just considered the Minister's comments in silence, wondering why the other man was being so gracious to a known Death Eater who'd managed to skimp out the system once again.

"There you go Harry! I'll have my assistant submit the memories when you submit the paperwork. Good luck! Although I suspect you won't need it. Between you and I…and you didn't hear it from me…the Wizengamot has had quite enough of the Prophet's antics anyway. Having those vultures hanging about the Ministry day in and day out is putting a real hold on getting anything done."

Harry smiled brilliantly as the papers were handed back over to him. A huge weight lifted off his chest knowing that he had the Minister's backing behind his case, and knowing that the people who would be deciding the final judgment were as sick of his opponent as he was. He handed the papers to Lucius, who tucked them away in a briefcase and all four people stood to go to the door.

"Harry?" Kingsley's voice called questioningly. Harry turned to the other man with a questioning look, both Malfoys stood silently at the door in wait.

"Are you planning to go back to Hogwarts in the fall? Minerva said she believes that the castle will be ready for students by then, and she is planning on having all of the students return to redo last year's courses."

The question floored Harry for a moment. He hadn't even thought about Hogwarts since the Final Battle. He'd been trying his hardest to keep his mind off of everything that happened, even though logically he knew it'd all be coming back soon enough as the funerals started up. Did he want to return? The thought of going back to that place filled his heart with pain and his mind with anxiety. Harry could remember the screams in the castle, the smell of fire, blood, and fear permeating the grounds of the place he'd once considered his safe haven. He hadn't even noticed that his breathing had started to pick up until he was suddenly snapped out of his own mind by a strong hand clamping down on his shoulder.

"I believe that the Fall is still some time away," the cool, collected tone of Lucius Malfoy stated firmly. Harry's panicked green eyes flicked up at the man who was looking at him with something akin to concern in his eyes. He could feel Narcissa's worry from behind him as well.

"It may be best to allow Harry to think on this matter for a while longer, yes?" the older male said. Kingsley nodded his head and smiled apologetically at Harry.

"Of course. Well, I'm sure you all have things to do, as do I. But don't be such a stranger Harry. You are welcome to come see me any time you want," the Minister of Magic said in a sincere tone.

Harry merely smiled back shakily and allowed himself to be lead out of the office and down the hall by Lucius' firm hand. The pressure of the other man's touch seemed to ground him, even as his mind continued to feel foggy and distant. They now had to go submit the paperwork to the correct department, as well as serve a copy to Skeeter and The Prophet. He followed silently, in a daze to each place, feeling like the only thing keeping him from breaking down was Lucius Malfoy's warm hand leading him back to the Manor.

* * *

George didn't do much more than trot the horse around the rink, watching in fascination as Draco Malfoy did intricate jumps and leaps through the course on his own. He'd always known the littlest Malfoy was a talented young man. There was no doubting that. Even Ron had to begrudgingly admit that academically and athletically, Draco Malfoy was a force to be reckoned with. The way that the younger man moved with the stallion was majestic, graceful. It was like a dance almost, and George couldn't keep his eyes off him.

It didn't help that those sinfully tight pants stretched so closely against an equally tight bum as the blonde posted up and down on the horse's back, the muscles in his legs and arse squeezing and contracting as he did so. They finished out the activity by riding back to the stables and carefully dismounting their respective horses. George had spent most of his time watching Draco, the way he moved, the way he carried himself. While it was prim and proper, and everything you'd think when looking at a Malfoy, George couldn't help but see the forcedness of it.

He wondered if that was what fascinated him about the younger man so much that he spent so much time observing him. Because Draco was broken, and George was broken, and for some reason George felt like Draco could probably understand just to what depth that being shattered as he was hurt every day. The attraction he was feeling for the other young man was also something he spent a lot of timing mulling over during their time together today. He'd never thought twice about Draco Malfoy in school, regardless of how undeniably beautiful the young man had been, why now?

"Weasley?"

George snapped out of his thoughts to see a pair of confused silver eyes staring back at him from an equally baffled Malfoy face. Draco emoted much more than either of his parents did, but George had a feeling most of the time it was accidental. Because when the littlest Malfoy was paying attention, his face was blank and cold so as not to give away anything he might be feeling on the inside.

"Err…yea sorry, what?" the redhead said with an apologetic smile. The blonde scowled at him, which George found more adorable than intimidating.

"I was asking if you wanted to go to Diagon Alley now," Draco said, and George's smile froze on his face.

However, this time the only remaining Weasley Twin managed to tramp down the anxiety he felt over going to the shop before it started. He wasn't sure how things would be once he got there, but he and Fred had dreamed of taking the shop to heights of business that most people could only imagine. He couldn't sit around any longer letting his business suffer without his guidance. He owed it to Fred, the brother he'd lost in the Final Battle, to Harry who had given him the means to start this dream in the first place, but mostly George owed it to himself to start living his life again.

"Yea sure…uh, we should shower first I think. I don't think Malfoys go around smelling like horses in public," he said after a firm clearing of his throat. The blonde just considered him for a few moments before nodding and turning to walk back towards the main house. George followed silently behind Draco, trying to keep his nerve.

* * *

Harry was walking out of the Ministry with Lucius and Narcissa flanking his sides. Overall, he felt much lighter than he had before. The whole Lord thing was a lot easier to manage with the practiced hand of Lord Malfoy guiding his way, and he'd served both Rita Skeeter and the chief editor of The Daily Prophet their court summons personally. The look on Skeeter's face had been priceless. Like she couldn't believe that anyone would have the gall to take her to court for her downright blasphemous reporting on the lives of the public figures in the Wizarding World.

"Well now, I think it's high time we got you all home. The Ministry will no doubt get all in a huff if we let Mr. Malfoy stay out for much longer," one of the Aurors that had travelled with them said.

Lucius nodded and held out his arm for one of the Aurors to clutch so they could Apparate him back home. Harry held on to Narcissa's arm, the uncomfortable pinch of Apparition feeling like more of a relief than anything after the long day he'd had. It wasn't even very late in the day yet, and Harry already felt exhausted. It may just be that he was hungry, but he needed to get out of Diagon Alley almost since he arrived. Even as they disappeared from the street, Harry could still feel the dozens of eyes burning into him from every direction. Seven years later, and Harry still didn't think that he would get used to being as famous as he was. Now that he'd destroyed Voldemort, his fame had only gotten bigger and more out of control. Just the week after the Final Battle, he'd gotten a slew of mail all from women (and some men) asking for his hand in marriage. People crawled out of the cracks of Wizarding society claiming to be his relatives, and Harry had eventually just warded Grimmauld against any mail that wasn't official, or from his friends.

When they arrived at the Manor, the Aurors went off to patrol the grounds as per usual. Harry, Narcissa, and Lucius all made their way inside to get washed up to sit down for lunch. Harry headed off to his suite, washed his hands and face, then took a look at the clock. Lunch was going to be served at one today, giving all three of them the time to change and take care of anything before the food was served. The clock had just hit twelve, and Harry figured he could get away with a nap before the food arrived. Maybe a house elf could wake him up when it was ready.

"Uh..hello?" he called out, and almost immediately a small female elf appeared, her bulging eyes looking at him expectantly.

"What can Lolly do for Master Harry?" she asked in her high pitched squeaky tone.

"Could you wake me up when lunch is ready? I want to take a short nap," he said in a kind tone. The elf smiled sweetly at him and nodded her little head rapidly.

"Of course Master Harry, Lolly is doing so," she said in an enthusiastic tone. Harry just laughed and smiled back.

"Just call me Harry, okay? I don't like to be called master, it makes me feel old," he said in a teasing tone. The elf looked for a moment like she was about to punish herself for not knowing that already when Harry quickly intervened. All his years with Dobby had given him rather good incite to house elf body language.

"You haven't done anything wrong, Lolly. No punishment. I just like to be called Harry," he said soothingly. She nodded in confusion.

"Of course Mas_Harry. You is to be called what you wants to be called," she replied before popping away quickly to where she was hopefully not punishing herself.

Moving towards the bed, Harry flopped back and let his eyes flutter closed. He was so tired after their brief outing this morning, and he knew it was because he hadn't been out doing so much since before the war. Since the Final Battle, Harry had stayed mostly to himself at Grimmauld Place. He hadn't wanted the world's unabashed love or gratefulness for what he'd done. He hadn't wanted his friends' condolences or pity. Those of them who'd been there all lost people as well, and he never wanted to compound their grief with his own by seeking their help. Those of them who had not been there didn't understand how he could do anything but celebrate the end of the war.

Despite his darkening thoughts, Harry managed to fall asleep rather quickly on the plush king sized mattress in his room. He let his mind fall into the depths of sleep's warm embrace, hoping that he would feel refreshed when he woke.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy had been on his way to the main dining room when he heard the wail of despair from down the hall. He'd been on his way to Narcissa's quarters to walk with her to lunch, but the sound of that scream had him running right past his ex-wife's rooms down the hallway it was coming from. The Manor being as large as it was, made it difficult to pinpoint which room it was coming from specifically, but Lucius knew that Potter was the only other person in the house besides him and Narcissa.

"Master Lucius! Master Lucius!" he heard one of his elves call. He looked down to see Lolly, the elf he had specifically assigned to see to Potter's needs while he was here.

"Lolly, is Mister Potter alright?" he asked, trying not to seem as concerned as he was. The little elf shook her head rapidly and darted down the hall, Lucius hot on her heels, towards Potter's suite.

"Harry Potter be screaming, Master Lucius, but he is not being waked up!" Lolly said in horror. Lucius gently pushed the elf aside and turned the knob, thankfully unlocked, to push Potter's door open.

"I will take care of this, Lolly. You go and tell Mistress Narcissa what is going on," he ordered, and the elf was gone within seconds to carry out his will.

Lucius approached the bed where his guest lay writhing against the sheets, face scrunched in emotional distress, and tears rolling down reddened cheeks. He was at a loss of what to do at first. Since the war, he'd had his own nightmares and those of his wife and son's to try to soothe. But they were family. He knew he could wrap his arms around Narcissa, even though they were no longer married, and hold her until she calmed. He knew that he could embrace his son and stroke his soft blonde hair until he stopped whimpering in his sleep, regardless of the fact that his son was nearly eighteen. But… Potter was not a family member, and Lucius did not know how he would respond to being held by someone he'd considered an enemy up until just a week or so ago.

"Professor!" he heard the young man cry in despair, and wondered if he was thinking of Dumbledore or Severus. He knew that Potter had watched both of them die right before his eyes.

"Mister Potter," he said gently, watching as a sheen of sweat appeared over the young man's brow, neck, and collar.

Lucius reached out a hand to shake a slender shoulder. He jolted when his wrist was snatched into a surprisingly strong grip, the stab of what was unmistakably the tip of a wand poked into his chest and bright emerald eyes snapped open to stare at him blearily. Lucius stayed still, in shock and slight awe at how Potter had reacted to his presence. Did he always wake like this when someone tried to rouse him from nightmares? Did he sleep with his wand beneath his pillow? The Malfoy Lord was unsure if he should be concerned or impressed.

"Mr. Potter, it is alright. It was just a nightmare," he finally managed to say as he watched those vibrant green eyes focus into clarity. Clammy fingers released Lucius' wrist at once as Potter curled both his arms around his middle and seemed to hunch in on himself.

"Sorry…."

Lucius flexed his fingers to re-establish blood flow. His wrist was already sore from the strong grip that Potter had on him. He wasn't sure how to comfort the young man before him, who seemed highly embarrassed and still rather shaken up from his dream. With a sigh, Lucius took a seat on the edge of Potter's bed and awkwardly patted his hand, at a complete loss of what else he could do.

"You do not need to be sorry, Mr. Potter. We all have nightmares," he said, his tone as soothing as he could manage.

He watched Potter gather his wits, hands coming up to rub at a tired face before the young man pushed himself up in to a more upright sitting position. Lucius noted that the young Savior was fully dressed, which must've meant that he'd been intending just a short nap. Rising from the side of Potter's bed, Lucius held a hand out to help him up.

"Come now Mr. Potter. Lunch is being served as we speak, and by the looks of you some hot food will do you good," he said.

The young man's brilliant green eyes peered at him, still rather wild with anxiety and fear from the nightmare, from behind a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses, slightly skewed to the side. Lucius sighed, moving his hand forward to adjust the frames so that they sat straight on Potter's beautifully symmetrical features and tweaking a lock of wild black hair out of the boy's sweat dampened face. The lovely flush of red that flourished over those pale cheeks made him pull back, mentally tightening the hold on the usually ironclad control he had over his emotions. Sweet and adorable as Potter may be, Lucius knew the young man was nowhere near trusting him enough to even entertain the idea of possibly coming to his bed. Lucius would be patient, build a rapport with Potter, possibly a friendship, before he moved in for his ultimate goal of taking the young Savior as a lover.

"Y-yea…okay," Lucius heard, the soft still slightly shaky tone of Potter's gentle tenor breaking him out of his plotting thoughts.

The black haired young man placed his rough, work-calloused hand into Lucius' only slightly larger one and allowed himself to be pulled up from the bed. Potter adjusted his clothing, ruffled his black hair and smiled shyly up at the Malfoy Lord, who nodded with a slight softening of his steely grey eyes in place of the smile that he used only sparingly even with his own family.

"Come now, I sent Lolly to explain to Narcissa what happened. I am sure she is beside herself with worry by now," Lucius said, squeezing the young man's hand comfortingly and quite enjoying the darkening of Potter's already flushed cheeks as he lead the young man out of the room and towards the dining room.

* * *

George was quite proud of himself, shaky as his legs felt, flip flopping anxiety ridden stomach churning as it was. He sat at the desk of what was once he and Fred's office at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. He had not had a panic attack, nor had he disappeared into any PTSD related flashbacks to the death of his twin, which he'd witnessed in first person only a few months ago. Everything was just as they'd left it. The paperwork was taken care of thanks to their secretary, the store was flourishing with business now that the war had finally concluded and people felt safe to shop once again.

He flicked his eyes over the large desk he was sitting behind, noting that his secretary seemed to not have moved any of him and Fred's random pieces of parchment containing scribbles of new ideas for the shop, except to place them into a pile. On the right side of the desk, George spotted the picture he, Fred, and Harry had taken on the Grand Opening Day of Wheezes. His heart lurched a little as he stared at Fred's proud, smiling face. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he stared at his brother's waving image in the photo. They'd been so happy that day, their dream having come true thanks to Harry's seemingly unending generosity.

"You guys look really happy."

The sudden voice so close by and a gentle hand on his shoulder had George jumping and swinging his head around to see a somber looking Draco Malfoy peering at the photo over his shoulder. He'd nearly forgotten that Malfoy was here with him, and forced himself to hold the tears back that were begging to surge from his ducts. The young blonde sighed and leaned back against the desk, silvery eyes looking down at George with an understanding the redhead didn't quite expect.

"You know…I can never relate to you on this. Losing a twin is something I don't think anyone but another twin would be able to understand. But, I went through a lot under The Dark Lord's reign in my house. I remember the first person I saw die, our Muggle Studies Instructor, Charity Burbage. I remember that being the first moment when I realize just how deep I was in on the wrong side," he said, his fist clenching against his own thigh as he tried to fight off the quaking George could see was about to begin.

"I've seen a lot of things, Weasley. Things I relive in my mind every night. Things that make me wish I could go back, make different decisions, and be a braver person. But, in the end I know that I'd have done it all the same regardless. The Dark Lord had too much leverage on me for me to leave. My family…we lost a lot too, despite what most people think," the blonde continued, and George could do nothing but listen in rapt fascination as the youngest Malfoy bared his secrets to him like they'd known one another for ages.

"Losing Aunt Bellatrix wasn't really hard on me or my Father. I didn't know her. She was in Azkaban for most of my life, and while she was here I hated her. She forced me to do things I never wanted to do in my entire life to other people. But, it affected my Mother a lot. That is the only family member that people know of, who the Malfoys have lost, but…and I will ask you to keep this in complete confidence. Please don't tell anyone, including Potter or my parents, that I told you," Malfoy said, his eyes looking down at George with pleading in their depths.

George just nodded. He would never betray someone's secrets to anyone. Harry was his friend, but Malfoy was telling him this in confidence. He was telling George something no one else knew outside of his family, for what reason the redhead didn't quite get. But something inside him was wondering…if Malfoy was trusting him with such a secret, perhaps he could trust Malfoy with his own struggles concerning the aftereffects of the war.

"During the last year under The Dark Lord's power, my family fell from his graces. I was given the task of killing Albus Dumbledore in Sixth Year, but I couldn't do it. He was just an old man…an old man who wanted to help me and my family and for a moment I considered accepting his offer of protection. But the Death Eaters arrived before I could, and Severus killed him in my stead. The Dark Lord was furious that I'd failed, and to punish me…he…he tortured my Mother right in front of my father and me."

George sat in silence as he listened to the ever weakening tone of Malfoy's voice recount the events leading up to whatever secret he was about to reveal. The younger man was shaking quite noticeably now. His eyes were bright with a film of unshed tears, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists and lips trembling in his effort to keep from crying. George wanted to do something, say something to comfort the other man, but he didn't know how to do so appropriately in this situation…he also didn't want to cause Malfoy to lose his nerve. He wanted to know the real reason behind the broken spirit behind those mercury colored eyes.

"When he was done, and everyone had left…my Mother was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. I hated seeing her like that, but it wasn't just the torture that she was crying about. You see…my Mother lost a child that night," the young man revealed causing George's blue eyes to widen in surprise, and his stomach to roll over uncomfortably in despair.

The tears that Malfoy had been trying to hold back flowed down over his cheeks now unchecked. His shaking only worsened, but he continued explaining. George couldn't help but be impressed with his nerve, his determination to get this out. He also couldn't help but be a little honored to be the first person that the blonde ever deigned to tell this information.

"The baby was nothing more than a bit of spine and a brain, but I'd never loved anything more in my life. I'd never had siblings, and in the face of everything that was going on, the news that I may have a younger sibling…a sister, I was so sure of it, was the happiest news I could have gotten. But that _bastard_ took even that! I'll never get to meet that little person. I'll never get to hold her in my arms, and protect her… I couldn't protect her," Malfoy said, his voice distraught in a way that George had never heard before.

The redhead was speechless as his brain processed the information. He wasted no time in standing and pulling the trembling blonde into his arms, not caring if it was inappropriate, not caring if Malfoy hexed his balls off for it later. This was the only way that George knew how to comfort a person, and after what he'd just heard, he could not just sit here staring at the silent, quaking sobs of the young man and do nothing. Malfoy stiffened at first, but came willingly into the embrace, if a little skittishly. George just held him while the younger man convulsed quietly in his arms, soaking his shirt with tears as the older stroked soft blonde hair gently. It was a few moments before Malfoy spoke again.

"I always wondered, if I had done things differently, could I have saved her? If I had gone to Dumbledore in the first place, could he have protected us? Would my little sister have survived? The loss has devastated my parents, and destroyed their marriage. I always wished I'd been strong enough to join the light side, maybe then she'd have had a chance at life," the blonde said in a quiet tone.

George didn't know what to say to him. Nothing he could say would really do much to comfort the other man. The guilt that Malfoy felt, it wasn't something that could be assuaged by comforting words or assurances that he could have done nothing more. So instead, George pulled back slightly too look down into the red-rimmed eyes of Draco Malfoy. Flicking his eyes back to the picture, George smiled sadly.

"That was the happiest day of our lives. We'd wanted to open up a joke shop since we were little kids, and to be able to do so and to have it be successful right from the start was like a dream for us. I don't know how I'm going to do it without him…I don't know how to live without him, he was my best friend, my brother, my twin. Fred being gone is like having half of my soul ripped out of me forever…"

Malfoy stared up at him with what looked like shock and sympathy mixed into one expression. Then, his lips turned upwards slightly in a gentle smile. George's eyes flicked down almost immediately to watch the movement of those plush pink pillows of flesh. The attraction he'd been realizing more and more since the beginning of the day reared its confusing head, but George quickly forced his eyes back to Mafloy's gaze to avoid thinking about it for now.

"Tell me about him," the blonde said.

With only a moment's hesitation, George took a seat, summoning the other chair in the room for Draco to sit on, and began to tell Draco about the amazing life growing up with Fred. It was a small step, he still couldn't delve too deeply into the guilt and sadness he felt over his twin's death. But, even just talking about Fred's life was helping unknot some of that thick sorrow that seemed permanently balled in his gut.

Malfoy understood…he knew that now. And because of that, he felt he could share this with the other man. Maybe soon, he might even be able to talk about how Fred's death had affected him…

* * *

**End Note:** This chapter was a little hard to write, getting the emotional tone right was important to me, and I didn't want to rush it. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but like I said, my plate is pretty full right now with school. The good news is I already started it ^^

Please leave me with your thoughts, and thanks so much for all of you who have continued reviewing. Every time I see an email from one of you, it gives me the drive to at least try to work on the chapter, even when I'm exhausted after a long shift, or a long day in class ^^


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : I'm glad to see that the majority of you are enjoying this story. Now a few things about this chapter.

I _**am**_ adding an OC character, but only in the form of Hermione's infant younger brother. I figure her parents have been in Australia for at least a year now, and since they have no idea they have a daughter, have decided to have a child in their time there. He will not be a major part of the storyline, as I am not a fan of OC characters myself. It just makes sense to me in lieu of their situation, that they might end up with another kid in the year they were Obliviated. He will make appearances here and there, but will not be an integral part of the plot.

Once again the romances will all be building gradually, so if you are here to read mindless smut I would go elsewhere. There will be sex in the future between Lucius/Harry and George/Draco, but it will not happen until I feel the time is right.

That being said, enjoy the new chapter ^^

* * *

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/Kingsley

* * *

**Chapter Seven**: The First Steps of Healing

Harry was woken from his potion induced, dreamless sleep by the sound of a shriek in the suite beside his. He jolted up from bed, hopping off the side of it and rushing to the door that joined his and George's suites together. After his own nightmare only two days prior, Harry had been sleeping much lighter than usual. Fumbled with his pajama bottoms before he pushed the door open and entered George's rooms. He saw the redhead lying tangled in his bed sheets, head thrashing from side to side, face scrunched in sorrow as tears poured down his freckled cheeks.

Harry was beside him immediately, shaking the older man's broad shoulder and stroking sweat matted ginger hair out of his face in a comforting manner. Cornflower blue eyes shot open to look directly up at him, terror evident in their dilated, bloodshot depths. Harry continued his comforting attentions until George finally managed to gather his wits and sat up.

"I…Fred..I…bollocks!" the redhead stammered out, letting his face fall into his hands and shuddering in a full bodied sob.

The Savior could do nothing but wrap his arms around his friend and slide his hand over the trembling back as George cried. This was the first time that Harry had witnessed one of George's night terrors since they'd arrived at Malfoy Manor. He didn't know if it was because the redhead cast silencing spells on his room, and just forgot tonight…or if it was because George simply hadn't had any until now. It didn't matter really. All Harry could think about was that George was suffering.

"Was it the same dream as usual? The Battle?" Harry asked softly into George's ear. The head of soft, if slightly sweaty hair nodded against his shoulder and Harry sighed.

"I wish I could make it better. I-if only I'd been faster..maybe if I'd gone to Him the first time he demanded it…maybe all those people could've been spared," Harry said, not able to stop himself from voicing his guilt ridden opinion. George immediately pulled back and glared at him with his red-rimmed, fiercely blue eyes.

"Don't you dare! Fred knew what he was signing up for when he agreed to stay and fight, we all did. Nothing you could've done would've changed how many people died that night. If it wasn't Fred, it would've been someone else. Had you gone to Him that first time, you'd most likely been dead right? You hadn't even destroyed all of the Horcruxes yet," he said, his tone firm and inarguable.

Harry opened his mouth to argue again only to find his face covered with the firm slap of a pillow. When the black haired young man finally pulled himself from under the pillow he was greeted by the glowering face of George Weasley.

"Harry…if you'd gone to Voldemort when he first asked, he'd have killed the Horcrux inside you and then killed you…leaving him still alive with two more Horcruxes to spare and the rest of us with no clue what or where they were. We'd all be dead, if you'd done that. Fred died protecting the people he loved and the world he believed in. It wasn't your fault. He'd have killed us all anyway, because we sure as hell wouldn't have joined him," the redhead said softly.

Harry felt his eyes burn and his chest resonate with a sobbing laugh as he pulled George into a tight hug and buried his face in the older man's hair.

"I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to be comforting you and all I've gone and done is make it all about me again. I'm so sorry. I swear I don't mean to!" he said. He felt George laugh against him as well.

"It's alright Harry. We've all been through a lot, but I think it's fair to say you probably had it the worst…what with having to walk out and die like some sacrificial lamb to save the world. Besides, you did comfort me. Now, come here and let's go back to sleep," George said, scooting over on the bed to make more room for Harry.

Harry crawled into the bed beside George and allowed the redhead to lean against him as they settled together to sleep. He listened as the older man's breathing evened out, unable to fall asleep himself. It was when he heard the creak of the door that his eyes shot to the main entrance of George's rooms. There, standing in the doorway was none other than Draco Malfoy, platinum blonde hair mussed, black silk pajamas ruffled. Harry raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"I…I came when I heard the scream, but you were already here when I opened the door. You…you were so involved with your conversation you didn't even notice me. I didn't mean to listen. I just wanted to make sure he was alright," the blonde said in a hesitant tone. He looked nervous and embarrassed, and Harry could only smile in response.

Whatever Draco and George had done while Harry and Draco's parents were out had bonded them. The Savior had noticed it almost immediately upon seeing them come home from Diagon Alley together. He was glad. The blooming friendship between the two would be good for both of them. Harry wasn't aware of all that had befallen Draco under Voldemort, but he knew whatever it was had broken him completely. Losing Fred had done the same to George, and Harry felt that the two of them together may be able to reassemble themselves into functional people.

"He's fine. Just a nightmare, like usual," Harry answered, watching the blonde head bob in understanding.

"Right, well..I'll go then," Draco said awkwardly as he turned to leave the room.

Harry gently disentangled himself from George's sleepy embrace and moved to stop Draco from leaving. The blonde turned to him with a surprised expression when Harry's hand gently grasped his wrist.

"You can stay if you want. He's bound to have a couple of more, and I think he'd like it if he saw he had more than just me looking out for him here. Besides, it isn't likely I'll be able to fall back asleep now," Harry said, his green eyes earnest and warm.

Draco seemed to hesitate for a moment, his expression uncertain. Harry just smiled at the Malfoy Heir as he gently prodded the other boy back into the room and headed for his own. As he walked away, he closed the door and cast a silencing charm over George's rooms so any further nightmares would not disturb anyone else in the house. When he returned to his own room, he was surprised to see Lucius standing in his main doorway, looking sleepy and emotive in a way that Harry had never before seen in the other man.

"Lucius…" was all the boy could say in a tone of slight surprise.

The older man turned to him, concern written clearly in his stormy grey eyes. He must've come straight from his quarters, considering he was in a pair of black silk pajama bottoms and a slightly unkempt, hastily tied robe. His pale blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, riddled with sleep-induced fly-aways wisping this way and that. The picture, all together, was actually quite endearing.

"After your last nightmare, Narcissa and I decided to put up some alarm spells that would alert us if there were any disturbances in or near your rooms. So that one of us could come to see if you were alright," Lucius explained quietly.

"I'm alright. It was George, actually," Harry said with a soft if bemused smile on his face. He hadn't had anyone but the Weasleys care so much about his wellbeing or comfort. It was still rather odd for him that the Malfoys did, and seemed to genuinely do so.

"Yes, I saw through the door there," Lucius said, his eyes moving to the door that joined Harry and George's room..still slightly ajar. Harry closed it with a flick of his wand and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep, Lucius," he said with a bashful scratch to the back of his head. The older man merely stared at him for a few moments before speaking.

"You did no such thing. I do not sleep much anymore," the older man admitted, and Harry could feel himself immediately sympathize with the other man.

While he could never know what it was like to live with Voldemort day in and day out, in his own home. He had no idea what it felt like being emasculated the way he knew Lucius had been for so long under Voldemort's reign. Harry _did, _however, have that black hearted creature of pure evil living in his mind for years. Even with that presence gone from his mind, Harry could still feel the imprint of evil that was left in there after all those years of its existence. He imagined that Lucius must feel similar. Not only did the older man have a link with Voldemort, possibly deeper than the accidental one that Harry had for so many years, but that horrible creature had lived in Lucius' home for over a year before he was finally defeated.

Harry could remember how it felt to know his friends were in danger just by knowing him, but in the back of his mind he knew Voldemort was not very nearby most of the time. Lucius had the man in his home, threatening his wife and son on a daily basis. The Savior could see why the Malfoy Lord may have trouble sleeping in that very same home that had become associated with such anguish and fear for his family.

"Neither do I," Harry admitted softly, fidgeting a bit with the bottom of his pajama shirt as Lucius continued to look at him with his striking grey eyes. Looking down at his feet, Harry tried not to stiffen in anxiety as he listened to the soft padding footsteps of Lucius' slippered feet approaching.

"As it seems neither of us will return to sleep for a while still, would you like to join me out in the gardens for perhaps a late night snack and some conversation?"

Harry blinked up at Lucius with his wide, shocked eyes not sure what to say at first. As gracious and helpful as Lucius had been so far…and even knowing how out of his way the Malfoy Lord had gone to ensure Harry's comfort, the Boy-Who-Vanquished-Voldemort was still uncertain about being entirely alone with the other man for an extended period of time. It wasn't even that Harry distrusted the man anymore, because even though he had yet to completely put his trust in Lucius Malfoy, the past week or so found Harry getting closer and closer to considering doing so on a minimal level. It was more that Harry didn't trust the way he felt in the older man's presence.

Lucius Malfoy inspired a myriad of emotions in Harry that completely confused and scared him to be quite frank. Firstly, the older man made him nervous, anxious even. Of course their violent history was partially responsible. It inspired those feelings of anxiety and mistrust. It was also the fact that Harry found himself noticing things about the Malfoy Lord that he ought not to. For instance, right now…Harry could see the way the pale silver rays of the moon lit Lucius' pale skin, giving it almost an iridescent glow. He saw how those same beams filtered through blonde strands of hair, causing them to glimmer a silvery platinum color, and how it made Lucius' eyes look like storm clouds glowing brightly in the light of a full moon night.

Harry had never noticed these kinds of things in anyone before really, not Cho…not even Ginny. For him to see it in a male…in a male he had no business noticing such features in, absolutely terrified Harry for many obvious reasons. It inspired so many uncomfortable questions in his mind. Was he gay? Was he attracted to Lucius Malfoy? Was that acceptable? What would his friends think? Harry didn't want to have all of these questions about himself. He just wanted to live his life, free and normal, now that Voldemort was gone from the world. Why couldn't he just be normal?

"Shall I take that as a no?"

Lucius' voice broke Harry out of his thoughts almost immediately and he flushed a deep red as he realized how long he'd been staring at the other man with no response to his question. He forced himself to smile awkwardly and grabbed his cloak from where it was hanging on the bedpost.

"No..I mean, yes…of course I'll go with you," he said shakily. "It's not like I'll be falling asleep any time soon."

The blonde merely nodded and turned towards the door to Harry's rooms, exiting quietly. Harry pulled his cloak on and followed the man to the gardens. He wasn't sure what to expect from whatever conversation they had there, but he was going to try to keep all of the uncomfortable questions plaguing his mind locked away. He wasn't ready to face them yet. He didn't know if he'd ever be.

* * *

Out in the garden, Lucius led Potter to one of the many scattered outdoor tables where his wife used to often entertain day guests. This particular one was Lucius' favorite. It sat right beside a calm, smooth as glass pond littered with lovely lily pads that flowered a bright pink during the summer months. The night was beautiful as well. Clear skies and a nearly full moon made it so that Lucius did not even need to light the magical torches around the table. The moonlight would suffice for their conversation.

"Toby!" he called, resisting a smirk at the flinch Potter failed to withhold at the loud crack of a house elf's apparition into the garden.

"Yes Master Lucius."

"Bring us some tea and cookies please. You know the kind," he said in a gentle tone. The elf was gone for only a moment before he was back with some warm vanilla tea and a plate of homemade snickerdoodle cookies.

"Thank you Toby, you may go," the Malfoy Lord said, with just the slightest hint of a grateful smile on his face towards the small creature. He could feel the wide-eyed gaze of the black haired young man across from him. Lucius found himself utterly amused at the confused expression on Potter's face as he spoke kindly to the house elf.

"I will not deny that I was once cruel to these creatures, but they helped our family a lot during the war while He was in our home. They kept Draco as safe as they could, and kept the other Death Eaters away from Narcissa when I was not home. I can only be thankful for that. And while they still refuse to be paid for their services, I figure that being kind to them may suffice as gratitude for their loyalty," he explained in response to Potter's wide, emerald eyed stare of shock. He smirked as Potter cleared his throat and flushed that lovely red color again.

"Of course, that makes sense."

Lucius knew that Potter had only ever seen him interact with Dobby in the past. The thought of his former elf made him wonder what had happened to him. He knew that Dobby had worked in the Hogwarts kitchens for a wage after he was freed, and he knew that the little elf had braved Malfoy Manor during the peak of the war to rescue Potter and his friends. What became of him after, Lucius did not know.

"Toby is a cousin to my former elf Dobby. I think you may remember him," he said calmly. Potter nodded, his bright eyes darkening with sorrow at the mention of the elf.

"Whatever happened to that brave little elf?" Lucius asked, hoping he was not prying to hard into Potter's worst memories of the war. He didn't want to scare the boy away. He watched Potter's face transform into a variety of different expressions, most dominant in all of them was sadness.

"He died…that day at Malfoy Manor, when he saved us. Bellatrix managed to throw the knife and hit him. He died to save our lives," Potter explained in a pained, very quiet tone.

"Oh…I see."

Lucius didn't know what to say in response to that. While he hardly felt the sorrow he could see Potter must feel, he did regret that Dobby had died in the war. After seeing how far his elves at Malfoy Manor went to protect his family under Voldemort's reign, Lucius had always felt the need to apologize to that freed elf for his past violent behavior towards him.

"That is a shame, though…I have only recently in this past year become aware of just how loyal a house elf will be to their master, or to someone they consider worthy of their loyalty. After Narcissa misca….after seeing how the Dark Lord treated us in our own home, our elves did all they could to keep us safe. I will never forget that loyalty. It is part of the reason I began to understand that my previous views of the world were wrong. If an elf like Dobby, someone I used to consider less than dirt, could stand up to Bellatrix and the Dark Lord knowing he may die…that makes him superior to me doesn't it? I could not even protect my own family, even when the elves did," Lucius explained, his grey eyes fixed on Potter's obviously fascinated expression.

The young Savior shrugged his delicate shoulders and smiled sadly at the question. Lucius knew the young man had never considered Dobby, or any other magical creature, as less of a person than he himself. It was something that Lucius had hated about the young man when he first met him, but after seeing how determined the Malfoy Elves were to protect the family…Lucius could only respect this quality in Potter.

"Dobby was my friend…all the way back in Second Year when he was trying to protect me, until now. I've never considered him as anything else, and it always confused me to see other magical beings treated the way that they are. I mean, if they can speak and think on their own…doesn't that make them people? Charlie Weasley, the second eldest of them all, he works with dragons you know…he says they're highly intelligent. That they have their own societies, language, and social structures….and wizards have been so egotistical over the years to think that just because they look like beasts, they should be cadged and controlled," the young man explained in a calm tone.

"And Werewolves…they way they're treated is absolutely appalling. They're human for the majority of their lives, but because once a month they turn into what they do they are looked down upon. Because they are _Dark_ creatures people like Remus Lupin, one of the kindest men I've ever known, could never get a decent job. But if the Ministry would just make Wolfsbane available to them all, if they'd stop treating them like animals, this wouldn't be such a big issue."

Lucius nodded his head. Before the war, he would have agreed in full with the way that the Wizarding World treated the other magical beings, regardless of their intelligence. But after seeing elf after elf risk their lives to protect Draco, Narcissa, and himself, Lucius found himself in agreement with Potter's words. His experiences with Werewolves were not good ones. Greyback always had an alarming interest in Draco's life, especially when Lucius' son was young. Draco had been a beautiful child after all. But, Lupin he remembered from school. The young Gryffindor was quiet, a few years lower than Lucius, but very intelligent and often discouraged the way that James Potter and Sirius Black bullied Severus. Lupin had also died protecting Hogwarts a few months ago during the Final Battle, and Lucius could only respect the man for that. To think a man like that could be punished for the simple fact that Fenrir Greyback had a sick obsession with biting children, was upsetting to Lucius now.

"I will not lie to you and try to pretend I was not one of those pompous Wizards, even just a few months ago. I will only say that many of us, generations of Wizarding families, are raised believing they are at the very top of the social and natural ladder. It is engrained in us from a very young age, and I will say from experience that it is not an easy idea to break free of."

"Well, they'll all be singing a different tune soon enough. Because Kingsley is Minister now, and he will not stand for the past prejudices of this world to continue as they were. Prejudice is what started this war, and it will only continue to create problems if we don't address it now. I will make damn well sure that people like Remus Lupin and even Dobby get the recognition and medals they deserve for their services during the war, regardless of their blood or _creature_ status," Potter said.

Lucius was struck silent by the fierce determination glowing in those luminescent green eyes. Seeing such conviction from someone as young as Potter was something of a novelty, but a novelty that seemed to be prevalent in a lot of the young kids Potter's age. This war…a war started by their parents, grandparents, had become a war of the youth. So many young people, children really…kids his son's age, had stepped up to fight. Lucius hated that it had fallen to them. His son had seen things that most adults would find difficult to get over. He knew Potter and his friends were no different.

"That is a very admirable aspiration, Mr. Potter. Had I not made choices that ran the Malfoy name into the dirt, I would use its former power to back you up, knowing what I know now," he said.

Viridian eyes stared at him thoughtfully for a few moments before Potter's face transformed into a wide, warm smile. The young man was truly lovely when he smiled, it was a time when Potter's face took on a bright life, leaving the distinctive features of his parents behind and truly coming into its own.

"I'm glad you've learned from all of this, and I'm glad you see the world the way it truly should be seen now, Lucius. Not as Purebloods and Muggleborns…not as Wizards and Creatures...but all as living beings who deserve to be respected and free to pursue happy lives in our world," Potter said. His tone was sincere and earnest, but also riddles with warmth and acceptance.

"And you should call me Harry, Lucius…it's only fair."

At the last bit, Lucius couldn't help the slight smile that curled his lips, transforming his usually stony features with an amiable light. Stormy grey eyes softened just enough to be noticeable, and Lucius felt himself truly relaxing for the first time in the presence of the young Savior.

"Of course, Harry. As you wish."

* * *

George Weasley's face scrunched as the rays of the sun rudely pierced through his closed eyelids. Frowning a bit, the redhead buried his face into the silky, sweet-smelling material of his pillow and sighed in content. He didn't want to wake up yet. However, his nose scrunched once again as it was tickled by something soft. Pulling back a bit, George found himself remembering what happened the night before. His nightmare, Harry coming into his bed to help him fall back asleep. Smiling softly, he curled his arms tightly around the body that was in bed next to him and nuzzled what he now recognized as hair.

"I'm glad you stayed with me last night Harry, but do you think your hair could let me sleep for a little longer," he said in an amused tone.

"Mm not yet Mum, just a few more minutes," a familiar, distinctly _not_ Harry's voice murmured, causing George's eyes to snap open to focus on the person who was in his bed with him.

His gaze moved downwards where he saw a tuft of bed-mussed, white blonde hair resting against his own clavicle and he barely managed to stop the urge to scramble backwards. After all, it'd be highly uncomfortable to have the other occupant in the bed wake up to see them cuddled together like this. What in the bloody hell was Draco Malfoy doing in his bed? George quite clearly remembered falling asleep with Harry. What had happened between then and now? Or was he still asleep and dreaming or something?

Baby Malfoy looked peaceful. His eyes were closed, pale blonde lashes resting like delicate, feathery fans against the pale skin of his cheek. His face was entirely relaxed, which was something that George had not been witness to until now. His lips were set in a soft, natural pout, pink and pretty as little puffs of breath escaped them evenly in the blonde's sleep. He was lovely, angelic even. George found himself captivated…that was until he heard the telltale creak of a door opening and a feminine gasp from the front of the room.

"Oh my!" Narcissa Malfoy's voice cried in shock and George found himself sitting up in the bed to try to explain himself, waking a dislodged Draco Malfoy in the process.

"I swear this isn't what it looks like! I'd never disrespect you or your son like this, especially not in your own house!" he said, hoping she wouldn't jump to all of the wrong conclusions.

He knew Purebloods weren't complete prudes when it came to premarital sex. They'd been around for much too long to believe that two people who cared for one another, or at least were attracted to one another, would be able to keep their hands off one another until marriage. But, he also knew that out of respect, the parents of the couple in question should be at least notified of the interest of the suitor, especially if any of that fornication was to be happening in their household. George, while certainly interested in the Littlest Malfoy's gorgeous arse, was nowhere near ready to pursue any kind of relationship.

"Mother, please go. You are making Weasley very uncomfortable with your gaping. I assure you this is just a matter of my being a good host and comforting our guest after a nightmare. I had not meant to fall asleep, only to stay around long enough to make sure he did not have another," the calm, soothing tones of Draco Malfoy explained in a very matter-of-fact nature.

Narcissa merely nodded and walked out looking slightly confused as her son turned to look at George with an apologetic expression. Pale cheeks flushed a delicate pink and the young Malfoy couldn't seem to hold eye contact, his long fingers fidgeting with the blue satin sheets. George just sighed and reached a hand out to cover the fidgeting digits, causing grey eyes to flick up at him uncertainly.

"Look, last night I heard you screaming but when I got her Pott…Harry was already here. He said I should stay, since he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep anyway. I didn't mean to stay the whole night, I just wanted to make sure you were alright," the blonde said, his tone quiet and nervous. George just squeezed the smaller man's warm hand and smiled when they made eye contact.

"Thank you, Draco," he said, enjoying the way that pink flush tinged deeper along those elegant cheekbones. He'd never called Draco by his first name. He actually quite enjoyed calling him Baby Malfoy, because it riled the blonde up so much and made him pout in an utterly adorable manner.

"I dreamt of the Battle again. Of Fred…I wish it was me..." he said, happy to hear that his voice didn't crack under the overwhelming pressure of emotion he was feeling. He blinked his burning eyes back to Malfoy's concerned silver gaze when he felt the blonde's long fingers linking between his own in a comforting gesture.

"I understand…s-sometimes I can still hear the screams at night…when I close my eyes I see my aunt torturing Granger and hear her screaming…see her bleeding on the floor of the Drawing Room…I always wished I'd done something to help her," Draco said, looking ashamed and upset with himself. George just lifted his free hand, unable to stop himself from tucking some of that pale blonde hair out of the other man's miserable face.

"If it makes you feel better, Hermione doesn't even blame you for that. There was nothing you could do without putting your own life and your parents' lives in danger," he said, pulling his hand away from that blushing face in fear that he'd made Draco uncomfortable.

The blonde, however, just squeezed his fingers again before gently pulling away and climbing out of the bed. George let his eyes rove over the younger man's rumpled appearance. He quite liked Malfoy this way. It was nice to see him all bed-mussed with his feathery blonde hair sticking out at all sorts of odd angles and black silk pajamas wrinkled from sleep.

'_I could get used to waking up beside him,'_ George thought before he could stop himself. He shook the idea way with a smile, knowing he wasn't ready to broach the subject of such a relationship yet.

"Well, I'll have a shower I think and then I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast?" he said. Malfoy turned to him from the doorway and smiled slightly.

"I'll meet you outside of your rooms and we can walk down together."

George nodded and without another word, Draco walked out of the door closing it behind him quietly. The redhead made his way to the shower, his mind full of thoughts. Fred, the War, Draco…his increasingly warm feelings concerning Draco…all of these thoughts jumbling together in a confusing mass in his head. He knew he wasn't anywhere close to being emotionally stable enough to involve another person in his life the way he could feel himself wanting to involve Draco. But, he thought…maybe Draco could help him get to that place. He knew Harry would help if he asked, but George also knew that Harry was so messed up from the War himself that it wouldn't be fair to compound those problems with his own. Draco had spent the entire night in his room just to make sure that George would have someone around if he had another nightmare. Maybe he could trust him to help him work his way through his demons involving the War.

* * *

_ Harry,_

_I am so sorry for the letter that Ginny sent you, Dear. I assure you that she has been firmly chastised by both her father and I. Bill and Charlie have also sent her words of disappointment for her immature and frankly dishonorable actions. _

_I do hope that this does not discourage you from visiting. You're family, Harry. As far as I am concerned, you are my son, and you know Arthur feels the same. I know it may be awkward to be around her, but the rest of us only wish for your happiness and we would be quite distraught if you never came to the Burrow again. We are not angry with you for what you wrote in your response either. It was well within your rights to defend yourself._

_Hoping this letter finds you well,_

_Molly_

… … …

_ Dear Harry,_

_I've heard what happened with Ginny. I can't believe the nerve of that girl! Honestly, I thought that she was better than that, but apparently I severely misjudged her! You'll be glad to know that when Ronald joined me here in Australia, we had a long intense conversation about what happened between the two of you, and he is firmly on your side of what happened between you and Ginny._

_He's still not happy about you living there, but he does not agree with the way that Ginny has handled things and he is starting to understand that the prejudices against Slytherins he has are no better than the ones they had against Muggleborns. He has finally admitted that holding on to such prejudices will do nothing but create more problems._

_In other news, we've found my parents. They're living in a lovely home in Sydney and I was able to reverse the spell. Well, for the most part. The Healers here in Sydney say that there are parts of their memories that will never return, and parts that will take a very long time, because of how thorough I was in wiping me from their minds. But, they are happy to have me back, and have a basic understanding of why I needed to do what I've done in the first place. _

_Oh, and guess what! I have a baby brother now! That's right! It turns out not long after they moved, my mother became pregnant and they had a little boy! He's almost a year old now. They've named him Aaron, and he's already showing signs of magic. I swear I saw him levitating his blocks the other day! He really is the sweetest thing in the world. I love him so much already! I can't wait for you to meet him. Maybe he and Teddy can even play together!_

_Ron and I are going to stay down here to help my parents get their affairs in order, and then they'll be returning with us to England. We've spoken at length about it, and since their lives in Muggle London are completely gone, we've decided my parents should come to live with us at the Burrow until we can find a place for them. Kingsley even said he'd make an exception for me and my family, and allow them to live with me permanently. As strange as I feel accepting such an obvious favor, just because the Minister of Magic is my friend…they've got nowhere else to go. Would it be so wrong to accept his offer?_

_Anyway, I can't wait to see you! Both of us are excited to get back!_

_I'll write again soon,_

_Hermione_

… … …

_ Dear Cousin,_

_Please don't burn this letter as soon as you open it. I have some things I'd like to say._

_It feels odd writing a letter and giving it to an owl in hopes of it reaching you, but I really feel like I need to contact you. Today the guards who've been keeping us hidden told us we're free to return to our old lives. We went back to the house to find it destroyed, burned to the ground. I guess I can only thank you for getting us out of there. Who knows what those people would've done to us if you hadn't? Though, I guess you would know. You've been running from them your whole life haven't you? _

_Your Ministry put us up in a Hotel until we can find a place to live, which was pretty decent of them. I think that it's finally hit Dad and Mum just how much danger you were in all this time, and what you've saved them from in retrospect. Dad's not singing your praises or anything, and he still hates anything to do with magic, but…he does feel indebted to you for saving our lives. Mum though…she's been really quiet. Sometimes I catch her staring into space and frowning. It worries me. She admitted to wondering if you were even still alive out there, if you were injured, dead…_

_I have to say I've been wondering the same thing, so if you're alive, even if you never want to see us again, please at least send a letter to let us know. I think it'd put Mum at ease. Dad wasn't too happy about the idea of me writing you. Indebted as he feels, he's too set in his ways to change too much. But I told him that we ought to at least know if you're alive, you saved our arses after all. He tried to say he didn't care what happened in that freaky world of yours, and I just said… "Well think about it Dad. Mum's family has magic in their blood. What if my kids are like Harry? Will you hate them? Will you wish harm on them? I damn well care what happened in that world if it's possible my kids might be a part of it someday."_

_He shut up after that. Anyway, please write back if you can. Did you win? Is the bad guy dead? Are you alright?_

_Your Cousin,_

_Dudley Dursley_

* * *

Harry sat stunned after reading the signature on the final letter. Dudley had contacted him. Dudley cared whether he was alive or dead? Dudley wasn't horrified by the idea that his children may be magical…it was an utterly flooring notion for Harry. Aunt Petunia was so worried about him she'd finally shut her loud insulting mouth? Harry just couldn't believe what he was reading, but he knew it was really from Dudley, because the Malfoys had put up wards to destroy letters from people who were lying about being related to him. He wasn't even sure what to think of it. Folding up the letter he tucked it into his pocket to re-read later, probably with George to get another perspective on the matter, and started replying to everyone.

To Molly, he assured her that he would be visiting again. Ginny Weasley's horrendous behavior would not keep him away from the people who he considered his family. To Hermione, he assured her that taking Kingsley's offer was not a bad thing. Her family deserved to be together, especially with her parents learning their daughter could've been killed during the past year and they'd never have known it. Hermione also deserved time with her new brother. He toyed with the idea of writing Dudley a small note just letting him know that Harry was alive, but decided against it for now. He wanted to talk about it with someone first. George would be able to help him sort these feelings out.

Harry had also received several Funeral invitations, including one from Molly for Fred's funeral, to be held the coming Saturday. Colin Creevy's would be the Monday following, and surprisingly McGonagall had invited him to a small service in honor of Severus Snape later that day. He knew the peace he'd found with the Malfoys would only last so long. Sorrow clenched his belly in a tight not as he thought of attending the somber ceremonies for the dead. But, Harry wasn't an inconsiderate tosspot. He would go to all of them. He'd go to any funeral that he was invited to, as many as he could. The victims of the war deserved it.

'_I wonder why I didn't get anything about Remus or Tonks,'_ he thought to himself as he rounded the corner into the dining room. He had no warning before a pair of arms surrounded him, hugging him to a soft body and burying his face in sweet smelling dark hair.

"Harry!" the familiar voice of Andromeda exclaimed somewhere close to his ear.

Harry curled his arms around her and held her tight for a few moments before he pulled back to look her in the eyes. This was the last thing he'd expected, Andromeda turning up at the Mafloys' home, but he wasn't about to complain. He hadn't seen the woman since she'd come to claim the bodies of her daughter and son-in-law after the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Andromeda, it's so good to see you. What are you doing here? Did you bring Teddy?" he asked, all the questions in rapid succession of one another. The woman just smiled at him kindly and stroked a gentle hand over his face.

"Of course I brought him, Harry. I couldn't very well leave him alone," she said in an amused tone. She pulled away from him entirely, and Harry was graced with the sight of all three Mafloys, plus George, sitting at the table for breakfast. Little Teddy Lupin, much bigger than Harry had seen him a few months ago, was sitting on Narcissa's lap, his hair a shock of pale, Malfoy blonde with scarlet streaks running through it.

"My sister had contacted me after the Battle to mend our bridges, but I was in no state for company then. Today I have some things to discuss with you all, and I figured you would like to see your Godson," she explained at his happy but obviously baffled expression.

Harry merely smiled, excited to see his Godson. He kissed Andromeda on the cheek and rushed over to Narcissa who readily surrendered the baby to him with a smile on her face. As soon as Teddy was secure in Harry's arms the little boy's hair went jet black and his eyes went emerald green. Harry couldn't help but cuddle the baby's body close, nuzzling the copy-cat hair with his nose. Teddy giggled and grabbed for Harry's glasses, but Harry managed to dodge the chunky little fingers.

"Nuh uh Teddy. Those are my glasses. No grabbing," he said with a laugh. Teddy pouted, but quickly got over it, curling his little fists in Harry's shirt instead and pulling it to his mouth where he gnawed on it with his gums.

"He missed you," Andromeda said from beside him. He pulled out a chair for her and sat down in the one to her right.

"I missed him too," he said honestly, looking up from the baby to the rest of the people at the table with a brilliant smile. "Morning everyone."

George and Narcissa were watching him with fond smiles on their faces, Draco was looking at Teddy with an expression of awe, and Lucius was staring at Harry with an indecipherable look in his eyes. Harry just pressed a kiss to Teddy's forehead and leaned forward to serve himself some of the deliciously fluffy looking scrambled eggs on the table. Teddy seemed content to gnaw on Harry's shirt for the time being, which was nice because it left the young Savior with room to eat without baby hands grabbing at his utensils.

"Why don't you tell him what you told us Andy," Narcissa said softly. Andromeda nodded, her eyes going a bit dark as she prepared to speak.

"I am holding a memorial service for Nymphadora and Remus this Friday at the church in Godric's Hollow. We're going to bury them in a plot opposite of your parents'," she said softly, looking at Harry as if he were about to explode in anger or perhaps burst into tears.

Harry's arms tightened a bit around the child in his lap, who looked so much like Remus it was almost painful…even with the black hair and green eyes. Remus had been the last link Harry had to his parents, one of their best friends as well as one of his. Tonks had always been kind to him, from the moment she met him. He was still devastated that they both of them had lost their lives in the Battle, leaving Teddy orphaned like Harry had been almost nineteen years ago. He couldn't help but blame himself of course. If it weren't for him, Hogwarts may have been safe. If he'd been faster in destroying the Horcruxes. If he had faced Voldemort sooner.

"You are all invited of course," Andromeda said, breaking Harry out of his somber thoughts.

"Of course I'll be there Andy. I am so sorry for your loss, and I wish I had known my niece. If I had not been so stupid…so brainless to follow our parents, my husband…I should have been there for you Andy, regardless of what any of them said," Narcissa said, looking guilty and struggling to keep her tears at bay.

To his credit, Lucius didn't flinch or frown at the slight jibe from his ex-wife. Harry could see he had long accepted the blame she may always place on him for making the choices that he did. It was obvious that Lucius had come to terms with his failures as a husband and father, but Harry also knew that failing one's family like that had to have left deep emotional scars. He wondered if the older man would ever feel comfortable talking to him about it, not that it was any of his business. Harry was simply curious.

"You know I wouldn't miss it, Andromeda. Remus was family, and Tonks too. So long as I don't have to make any speeches. I'm pants at public speaking," he said, his cheeks darkening a bit at the idea of having to say anything meaningful in front of other people.

There weren't words in his mind for the gratitude he felt towards Remus and Tonks, the sorrow in his heart towards their deaths. Were he asked to put it into words other people would understand, he knew that he would flounder. Remus and Tonks deserved better than that at their funeral. They deserved someone eloquent who could do justice to the honor and respect that the two of them warranted in their deaths. They deserved someone who could adequately express the love both of them had for their son, their friends, and their family...and the love those people all had for the both of them.

"Of course not, Harry. I know better than that," Andromeda said softly.

Harry smiled at her weakly, bouncing Teddy on his lap when the little boy whined for attention. He flicked his gaze down to where those big, identical green eyes of his stared up at Harry, a little wibble in the baby's lower lip. Harry couldn't help but laugh, glad the sob that wanted to escape at the idea of all the funerals he'd soon be attending didn't escape. Kissing Teddy's chubby cheek, he pulled the little boy into his chest and held him tight.

"I was thinking that perhaps, while I am taking care of the final arrangements…Teddy might like to stay with his Godfather," Andromeda ventured, causing Harry to look up at her abruptly with a slightly shocked expression on his face.

"Really? You'd trust me with him alone?" he asked. Andromeda just laughed.

"Of course I would, Harry. You are one of the kindest, most caring young men I know. But, you are hardly alone here Harry. Narcissa may be a bit out of practice, but I assure you no mother ever forgets how to take care of a baby," she explained. Narcissa huffed in feigned offense.

"I am not so out of practice that I would be of no help. If you have any questions or needs concerning Theodore, I will be more than happy to help you," she said.

Harry just laughed at the interaction between the sisters. It was nice to see them getting on so well. He could tell there was still an underlying tension between them, a mistrust it would take time and probably long conversations to heal. But, Andromeda and Narcissa were more than capable of fixing their relationship. Of that Harry was sure. He looked back at Lucius, who was still looking at he and Teddy with that odd expression on his face.

"Oh, do not look at him for any answers, Harry. Lucius was little more than useless when Draco was a baby. He was so afraid to hold him, he could hardly do any feedings or change any nappies," Narcissa said, her eyes taking on an amused glint as her husband shot her a glare.

"He was so small. I was afraid of harming him," the man huffed indignantly, causing everyone at the table to laugh in amusement. Lucius snapped the paper open and ignored them all, which only caused more laughter that he pretended not to hear.

After breakfast Andromeda left with a couple of house elves to grab Teddy's things. When she returned, she gave Harry a crash course on how to take care of the baby, said her goodbyes and went back to her home to continue preparing for the funeral. Harry was psyched to have his Godson for the week. Intimidated as he was by the idea of caring for an infant all on his own, Harry couldn't wait to spend some quality time with him.

"Come on Teddy, let's put your things in my room shall we?" he said, nuzzling the baby's cheek with his nose and stroking the once again blonde hair on top of his head. He excused himself from the room to go get Teddy settled in.

* * *

**A/N: **That's all for now! Please leave me with your thoughts ^^


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and other assorted publishing, producing companies. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

* * *

**Author's Note** : First I'm going to say sorry for taking so long with this update. I recently started a job as a Day Care teacher and let me tell you, most nights I come home EXHAUSTED. Lol, chasing little kids around all day is so tiring.

I also wanted to address an issue that seems to be reoccurring with a few reviewers. There are a couple of people who seem hell bent on telling me how to write this story. While I encourage constructive criticism, I want you to understand that I have already decided how this story is going to be written. All the warnings/pairings have been available since the first chapter, and if you don't like it then don't read it ^^ because I'll not be changing my idea for this story simply because you think you know better. Most of the other readers like it as it is, and more importantly, I like it as it is. So just don't bother.

To **Random Reader **on , who is too cowardly to review with their own username so that I cannot reply to you in a PM. Like I said, this story's pairings were outlined since the first chapter. If you didn't like Male/Male you had plenty of time to stop reading. I laugh at your poor excuse for a flame and you may kindly blow me =P Come everyone. Point and laugh with me at the idiot who is clearly illiterate and cannot read the big bold letters that say **WARNINGS **and** PAIRINGS**. Point and laugh with me my darlings! *points and ROFLS*

* * *

**Title** : The Aftermath of War

**Warnings** : Slash, Ginny-Bashing, Anal, Oral, Rim, H/C, Future M-Preg, Un-Beta'd

**Pairings** : Lucius/Harry, George/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/Kingsley

* * *

**Chapter Eight**: Teddy Lupin Charms the Manor

After the mishap in the morning where Narcissa caught her son in bed with none other than George Weasley, the ex-Mrs. Malfoy was unsure of what to think. She knew her son was not lying to her when he said that he was just comforting the other young man. Lucius had told her all about the nightmare he'd walked in on Harry comforting the young Weasley through. However, she couldn't help but think that her son was a little more invested in George Weasley than he let on. She'd seen it first that day she returned from Diagon Alley with Harry and Lucius. Something had changed between Draco and the young redhead. Whatever they'd done for the day had bonded them.

They had a lot in common. Both had lost a sibling. Draco had been devastated by the loss of his sister. Regardless of the fact that he hadn't had even a fraction of the time with his sister as George had with his twin, Draco had been broken by the loss. A part of Narcissa blamed herself, of course. What kind of mother could not even protect the life that grew inside of her? A bigger part of her blamed Lucius for making a decision she'd told him even back when the Dark Lord had first risen would ruin them both.

But, coming to her original thought line, Narcissa was unsure of how she should feel about her son developing feelings for a man as broken as he himself, if not more so. George Weasley, despite all of the prejudice and insulting things her ex-husband had said about his family, had proven to be an intelligent, resourceful, and creative young man. Even in his absence and in the death of his partner, his twin, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was still booming with business. It was one of the only shops in Diagon Alley that had not been devastated by the war. He was also a kind young man with a tender heart and a compassionate spirit. She knew it was because of George that her son was finally beginning to lose some of that brokenness from behind his eyes…well, George and Harry together.

Draco falling for a man was not an issue either. The Malfoys had performed the spell to allow a male to carry in the past, and Narcissa wanted nothing more than her son's happiness. It wasn't any of that which made the mother worry for her son. It was that George Weasley and her son were from very different worlds. She could care less about the poverty that the redhead grew up in. He'd been raised in a loving home with two parents who did everything in their power to give him what he needed. He was a good man for it, and he was highly successful on his own, so Narcissa knew she didn't have to worry about him being after the Malfoy gold. George Weasley and Draco Malfoy had been on opposite sides of the war. While Weasley was seen as a grieving hero to be commended, Narcissa knew no matter what the Wizengamot had ruled…most people would see her son as an opportunistic ex-Death Eater trying to use George's reputation to his advantage. There was also the fact that Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had never gotten along. Narcissa was sure this would create a problem if the boys decided to try.

Should the two of them pursue a relationship with one another, it would not be an easy road. They would face adversity, scorn, and suspicion. Draco would more than likely be accused of a number of different means of bewitching the upstanding young Weasley. That was the last thing that her son needed in a world that already distrusted him for his name alone. He was going to have enough of a problem finding a job after Hogwarts, despite his outstanding grades, due to his father's mistakes. Then there was his father, who despite the amount of changes he'd made to his personality, would most likely oppose the pairing based solely on the fact that he disliked George's family. A family, please mind, that he did not even really know. Narcissa herself was over that kind of prejudice.

She didn't care that they were poor, or that they didn't see fit to uphold the ancient Pureblood traditions. She should be thanking Molly Weasley for getting rid of Bellatrix, for putting her sister out of her insane misery. She should thank Molly Weasley for being there for Andromeda after the death of her daughter, when Narcissa had stupidly turned her back on her sister years ago and had not even known her niece.

No…if Draco decided that it was George Weasley that he wished to begin a relationship with, Narcissa would do nothing but support her son. She would protect him from any and all scorn that flew his way, from both the public _and_ his father. She would go out of her way to enfranchise herself and her son to Weasley's family, so that maybe they too would support the relationship. Draco had been through so much under her roof, and she had been unable to do anything to protect him from it. After putting him through that, Narcissa felt that her son deserved a bit of happiness. George Weasley was an upstanding young man, a rising businessman, and an honored War Hero. Why shouldn't he be good enough for her son?

"Narcissa?"

The voice calling her name broke her from her thoughts, and Narcissa turned to see young Harry Potter standing in her doorway with a sniffling Theodore Lupin on his hip. She cocked a brow at Harry, and he smiled bashfully at her with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Um…I think he's got a dirty nappy, but I haven't a clue on how to go about changing it," he said with an embarrassed little laugh. Narcissa merely smiled one of her small, warm smiles at the young man.

"Come, I will show you," she said, walking from behind her vanity out of the door towards the young man's quarters.

* * *

Draco always took a quick shower in the morning. Because he took a longer, more thorough one at night, he didn't feel the need to go all out when he woke up. When he walked back to George's room, it was only ten minutes past the time that he'd left. He hoped the other young man was ready, because Draco was starving, and the elves had made his favorite for breakfast, Eggs Benedict. When he reached the doors to George's suite, he knocked gently and waited to be beckoned in before entering.

"You can come in, Draco," George's voice called from behind the door.

The blonde entered the room, freezing in the door way with his grey eyes slightly wide at the sight that met him. George stood before the dresser in nothing but one of the Manor's fluffy white towels, red hair darkened to burgundy as it dripped water down his face, neck and shoulders. The red haired man's skin was pale and freckled, but smooth and nearly flawless despite a few scars here and there. Instead of being disgusted by the freckles, as he'd always made out to be when ragging on Ronald Weasley in school, Draco found them fascinating. They covered George's strong arms and broad shoulders, his lean back and nicely defined abdomen. There were even little patterns that could be made out. Just below his bellybutton, Draco could see a line of maybe ten or so that formed an odd little S shape. It was strangely endearing, and the littlest Malfoy found himself wanting to run his tongue over the patch of skin there.

"You alright Draco?" he heard George's voice ask, slightly concerned. The blonde pulled himself out of his head immediately, internally cursing his pale skin as he knew he would not be able to stop himself from blushing.

"Fine, I just didn't expect you to be indecent when I came in," he replied, covering up his embarrassment with a haughty huff as he tossed his pointed nose up in the air imperiously. He got a chuckle in response.

"We're both men, Little Malfoy, there's nothing I have that you haven't seen on yourself," George replied.

Draco managed to spin himself around before the other man dropped his towel. As much as a part of him wanted to see, the propriety that was driven into him from the time he could speak would not allow him to look. Even in the Quidditch locker rooms at school, Draco had mostly kept his eyes to himself. Now, he'd been but a teenage boy with raging puberty driven hormones, so there were a few slips here and there. But, he always felt a little guilty for it later on because he knew it was not quite kosher. Not guilty enough to avoid wanking over any good bits he saw, but guilty all the same.

"You alright, Draco?" George's voice queried softly, breaking Draco out of his guttering thoughts once again with the air of concern in the redhead's tone.

"I'm fine. Just hungry and not entirely awake yet," he replied, trying to keep the pink flush from his pale face. It was impossible of course, with his light coloring, but George didn't seem to notice.

"Right then, let's get downstairs and get some breakfast," the Weasley said, coming up behind Draco, now fully dressed with a warm smile on his freckled features.

The proximity between them had Draco's grey eyes drawn to the way that smile curved up the nicely shaped, firm looking mouth of George Weasley. But, he mentally shook himself out of his daze. He needed to get a grip on himself. So, he was attracted to the man. Even just six months ago, Draco would've been completely appalled by the emergence of this attraction to a Weasley, but after getting to know the other man a bit...Draco could simply accept it. He didn't, however, want to get his hopes up. What were the chances that one of the ever virile Weasley men was actually gay…or even curious? And then even if George did turn out to be attracted to men, why would he want to get himself involved with all the trouble a relationship with Draco would surely bring to him?

_'No, I have to keep control of this. I cannot let myself get in too deep,'_ he thought to himself.

Beckoning George to follow him, Draco led the two of them down the corridors of the Manor, towards the dining room where breakfast was undoubtedly already served.

* * *

"That is utterly disgusting, Mother," Draco Malfoy said as he watched from the sidelines while his mother demonstrated the proper way to change a dirty nappy.

On Draco's right was George Weasley, who snickered at the blonde's words. Nappies were nothing new to him. While he may not have been old enough to change Ron or Ginny's nappies when they were still in them, he'd seen more than enough in his lifetime. On Draco's left was Harry Potter, watching with rapt attention as Narcissa explained the process of changing his Godson. It didn't squick him, the idea of changing nappies. He'd spent the majority of his life cleaning the _Dursleys' _bathroom. He could handle Teddy's tiny little nappies.

"And that is how it is done. It is not so difficult," Narcissa finished up, lifting the newly changed happy Teddy from the changing table in the corner of Harry's bedroom and handing the little boy to his Godfather.

Harry accepted his Godson with ginger gentleness, settling the gurgling baby on his hip and nuzzling into his currently white blonde hair. After about a week at Mafloy Manor, Teddy seemed to adopt the new hair color almost naturally. There were still times when bright orange streaks would decorate the pale locks, and sometimes while they were alone, Teddy's hair would turn jet black like his Godfather's. But, for the most part, it stayed that bright shock of blonde. His eyes, however, liked to stay the same vivid green that both Lily and Harry Potter were known for.

"No, it doesn't look difficult at all," he said with a smile in Narcissa's direction. "Thank you for showing me."

"It's still disgusting," Draco repeated, his pointed nose scrunched in a mild look of disgust. Narcissa's pale blue eyes merely slid to him as a pale blonde brow quirked in response.

"Is it? I will have you know, Draco, that your dirty nappies were some of the most disgusting I have ever had the displeasure of changing. You would not breastfeed, and were allergic to most known formulas in our world. Severus had to cook one up for you himself, and it made your excrement smell god-awful," she said, watching in utter amusement as her son's face went bright red in embarrassment and the two boys beside him burst into a fit of giggles. Teddy joined in as well, even though he had no idea what was being said. Like most babies, he laughed when other people laughed.

"One day when you decide to settle down and provide an heir to this family, I will _not _be the one changing nappies. I certainly will not allow you to con off such duties on your partner either. Salazar knows your father was completely useless when it came to helping out with you before you were toilet trained. I will not stand for my son to be such a hopeless case," she finished before stalking out of the door in a whirl of powder blue satin robes, platinum blonde hair, and a wicked smirk.

It was silent for a few moments in Narcissa's wake, save for the barely hidden snickers coming from Harry and George, as well as Teddy's gurgling baby noises. Draco whirled on the two of them with a cold glare, his lips pursing into a pout at their mirth. It was George that stepped forward, a large hand clamping down on the blonde's shoulder and an amused grin splitting his freckled features.

"Don't pout at us, Baby Malfoy. That's what you get for talking smart to your Mum!"

It was clear to the both of them that Draco's mother had never spoken to him in that manner before. His baffled expression was more than entertaining. Having rarely even been chastised as a child, Draco was at a loss of what to say. What he was more surprised about was the teasing, joking tone that his mother had when she spoke. He'd never seen her so light hearted and _funny._ Growing up, she'd always loved him. That was true beyond fail. However, they were always surrounded by the followers of the Dark Lord who'd managed to escape Azkaban after that Halloween night almost twenty years ago already. While his parents had both been doting and caring to him throughout his young life, he could tell they were stressed a lot of the time….more and more so as the Dark Lord's return approached. Now, without that threat lurking over their heads, his parents had relaxed immensely.

"Mmm AH!"

The shout of the baby broke Draco out of his thoughts, and caused the other two boys in the room to look at Teddy. Said child was wiggling his little arms in the direction of the empty bottles he could see on a shelf above his crib. Harry only chuckled in response, pushing some of the white blonde hair out of the baby's face and kissing his plump little cheek affectionately. Teddy drank bottles still sometimes, but he also ate solid foods now, mostly baby food, fruits and vegetables. At almost five months old, it was time to start getting him used to solid foods, and Teddy was more than ready.

"You're hungry again already? Already planning on making me change nappies huh?" he said in an amused tone.

"AH!" Teddy exclaimed again, and Harry laughed more and walked towards the door.

"I'm gonna go down to the kitchens and feed him. I'll see you guys later," he said, smiling warmly as he exited the room with his Godson wiggling excitedly in his arms.

Harry left the two other men in the room and headed down to the kitchen. However, Harry quite suddenly realized that no matter how huge Malfoy Manor was…it was not Hogwarts. He had no idea where the kitchen actually was. He knew Narcissa was probably out in her garden by now, and Lucius tended to head to the Library after breakfast. He didn't wish to disturb either of them, so he snapped his fingers once, calling out for the House Elf.

"Lolly!"

The female Elf popped into the hall and bowed.

"Yes Master Harry."

"Can you show me to the kitchens? I would like to feed Teddy some lunch," he said kindly.

"Of course Master Harry."

With that, Harry was led down the many corridors of Malfoy Manor towards the kitchens where he immediately set about making House Elves cry, unintentionally of course, by insisting on making Teddy's lunch himself. He didn't do anything overly difficult, just mashed up some fruit for the baby to eat. The little boy wasn't a huge fan of vegetables, and Harry didn't feel like cleaning his face of mashed carrots today, so he just mashed up a couple of bananas and strawberries. Smiling, Harry bounced his Godson on his hip as he continued to make lunch for the both of them.

* * *

Lucius was nearly accosted by his Head Elf, Mindy, around lunch time in his study. She was babbling so fast, and so inarticulately that Lucius had no hope of understanding what she was saying. Instead he allowed her to tow him down towards the kitchens, all the while trying to soothe her frantic tears with gentle words. Mindy had been a Malfoy Elf for over a century. She was the Elf who'd raised every Malfoy Heir since she was bonded to the family all those years ago. Her efforts to protect Lucius and his family during the first and second coming of Voldemort were what drove the Malfoy Lord to promote her to Head Elf. She had risked her life countless times for Draco, Narcissa, and himself. She had been tortured for them, bled for them, and for that Lucius had rewarded her.

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something, please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot._"

Lucius looked up from his most trusted servant, and peered into the kitchen where a bright, warm voice sang the Hogwarts school song in a smooth tenor. The blonde man was not quite prepared for the sudden flush of warmth in his chest at the sight of none other than his esteemed house guest, Harry Potter, singing sweetly and dancing around his kitchen with a giggling infant on his hip. It was quite possibly the most…loathe he even think the word but…the most adorable thing he'd ever seen in his life. Lucius stood in the door with a bemused expression on his aristocratic features as he watched the young man settle the child into the high chair and begin to spoon mushy baby food into his mouth. As if Harry could feel Lucius' eyes on him, bright green orbs turned up to the entrance to look at him, widening in surprise before a warm smile filled their depths with sweetness.

"Lucius, good afternoon," the young man greeted softly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Po…Harry," Lucius said, a little thrown off by that lovely expression being directed at him.

Since the young man had arrived, Harry Potter had been respectful, but extremely wary of Lucius. It was with good reason of course, and he'd smiled at the blonde before..but it was always guarded and careful. The smile being directed at him right now was nothing but amiable and welcoming. The Malfoy Lord wondered if it was his Godson that had Harry so over the moon and blooming with happiness. Taking a seat across from the other man, Lucius eyed Teddy, who was staring back at him with bright green Potter eyes, suspiciously. There had been more than one time as a baby and young toddler that Draco had painted his father's robes in mushy carrots or fruit.

"Oh, don't worry. Teddy doesn't throw food. He's a very good boy, aren't you?" Harry said in an assuring tone.

Lucius was still a little bit wary, but the baby had already turned his attention back on his Godfather, who was holding a spoonful of mushy fruit out for the little boy to eat. The Malfoy Lord was instantly reminded of Draco's early days. He couldn't help but be impressed with how natural Potter was at taking care of an infant. Lucius had always been rather hesitant around Draco as a young baby. His son had been so tiny and fragile looking, Lucius was always afraid he might hurt him somehow. It also didn't help that Pureblood tradition focused mostly on female children learning how to rear the children, whereas the male children learned business and political tactics. When Draco was born, Lucius didn't really know what to do with him, and Narcissa never really asked for much help. He was glad his wife was going to break that particular tradition with their son, because Lucius was starting to feel Draco may not be interested in women at all.

"Everything alright?" a voice asked, concern evident in the tone. Lucius broke from his thoughts to see Potter staring at him with worried green eyes.

"Fine, Harry. I was just thinking about when Draco was a baby. I was quite useless as Narcissa has told you. But then again, my father had always taught me that it was the wife's job to rear the children," Lucius said.

Potter didn't look as if he were judging Lucius as he listened. The boy was just listening, his eyes keen and interested, and breaking contact only when he moved to spoon some more mushy baby food into his Godson's mouth.

"I wonder, how did you become so well versed in taking care of Theodore? Did your relatives teach you?" he asked. The bright green gaze darkened for a moment before Potter seemed to get control over himself once again.

"No, not at all. There's no need to bore you with the details of my childhood, but I'll leave it at no one would want me near their kids if they thought I was taught child care skills by either one of them," the boy said, laughing derisively, his face full of bitter scorn.

Lucius had to wonder about what Potter might mean, but he was well mannered enough not to pry…yet. Potter had just started showing the slightest bit of trust in him, so he knew it wasn't quite the time where the young man would spill his childhood woes or deepest secrets. It was baffling to Lucius that anyone could treat Harry Potter like anything less than the Hero he was made out to be even as an infant. Then again, it was well known that his relatives were Muggles, so it was possible they didn't even know. That begged another question, however. Why would Dumbledore leave Potter with a family that treated him so terribly he didn't even wish to speak of it, when there were literally thousands of Wizarding families that would've been honored to have the child raised as their own.

"If that is so, it is a wonder you have turned out to be the well-adjusted young man that you are," Lucius finally said. He knew he'd caught the younger man off guard, because green eyes flashed to him first in shock and then warming with happiness. Pale cheeks flushed a delicate pink as Potter responded.

"Thank you. I've fought my whole life to never turn out like the Dursleys, and it's nice to hear that people see it. I could be a lot of things, with the way I was brought up, but I try to do what's right," the boy said, his eyes turning to his gurgling godson.

"The first time I ever saw Teddy, his parents both dead, so much like me…I promised myself I would never let him feel unloved, or freakish. I would never let him go hungry, or lock him away for being different. I would love him for everything he was, and he would never for a day feel neglected," Potter said, shocking Lucius with the amount of information that'd just been released.

He was sure that the young man hadn't even realized what he'd said, considering his eyes were glazed over in thought, and his tone had been rather dazed. Locked away? Go hungry? What had those Muggle done to Harry Potter?! In the Wizarding World, children were considered precious. There were so few magical children being born in recent centuries, that each one was considered a gift. Even amongst Purebloods, the continuous interbreeding of the bloodlines was producing Squibs and children with very weak magic. With Muggle/Magical pairings, it was always a gamble whether the child would inherit magic from their magical parent. To think that anyone could treat a child the way Potter had just painted his childhood to be was disgusting to Lucius…a man who had done many horrendous things in his life.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that and bring the mood down. Just forget I said anything. It wasn't all bad," Potter said, snapping out of his haze with an apologetic smile.

Lucius took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. Had Potter never spoken of this to anyone at length? It seemed like something that should be talked about, moved past. But, Lucius was still too polite to pry.

"If that is what you wish, then I will do so. However, as a guest in my home, and a friend to my wife and son..I would like you to know, that..if you ever wish to speak of it with someone who will not look upon you with pity, I am always available," Lucius said finally.

The young man across from him stared in silence for a few moments before his face brightened in a grateful smile. Again, the expression caused an awkward twitch in Lucius' stomach that he had no desire to understand. Harry Potter was a very attractive young man when he smiled, was a though that escaped Lucius' ironclad grip over his thoughts.

"Thank you. I'll keep it in mind."

With that, the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Potter fed his Godson and Lucius cracked open the Prophet to see what was in the news. It was actually a very nice bit of time spent.

* * *

A/n: Sorry for the long long wait but I've been sooooo busy please keep in mind while reading I'm busting this chapter out ASAP. It's unbeta'd and not proof read XD I just don't have time right now.


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